**Chapter 22: The Rosemary Sisters Launch Their Assault**
Thus, Rest found himself residing at the House of Marquis Rosemary. Until the age of ten, he had lived as a commoner, and for the four years following his mother’s passing, he had endured a life in a stable. Living in the marquis’s mansion was unfamiliar, and he feared it would be a constricting existence. However, once he settled in, he found it surprisingly comfortable—perhaps too comfortable.
“Rest-kun, is there anything you don’t understand?”
“Rest-sama, this problem can be solved like this!”
“…”
In a room that seemed too lavish for an apprentice servant, Rest was sandwiched between Viola and Primula as they studied for their exams. Viola sat to Rest’s right, while Primula occupied his left. The two girls leaned in closer than necessary, peering at Rest’s work.
Since they were inside the mansion, both were dressed in what appeared to be loungewear. Night dresses—or perhaps negligees, as they were more commonly known—clung to their forms. The thin fabric, perhaps chosen to match their hair colors, was yellow for Viola and light blue for Primula.
(What is this…? Why are they teaching me in such provocative clothing…?)
Rest desperately tried to focus on the problems at hand, but his mind kept drifting to the sisters. However, this was the House of Marquis Rosemary; it was their prerogative to wear whatever they liked. Rest had no right to comment.
(Speaking of which… I think I read somewhere that upper-class people don’t feel anything when commoners see their skin… Does that mean I should be fine since I’m not conscious of it at all?)
“…And done!”
“Yay, correct! As expected of you, Rest-kun! I feel like giving you a reward!”
“Rest-sama has an excellent memory! At this rate, you’ll easily be ready for the exam!”
“Ugh…”
The sisters pressed closer, their bodies snug against his. The sweet scent of flowers wafted through the air. In this world, there were no shampoos or body soaps, so what was this fragrance? The warmth and softness against his arms were undeniable, and the thin fabric made their curves all too apparent. Rest was not so naive as to be oblivious to what he was feeling.
His face flushed naturally, and his tongue stumbled over words.
“Um, ladies… you’re, uh, too close…”
“Don’t call me ‘lady.’ Just call me Viola.”
“I’m Primula, Rest-sama♪”
“Ugh…!”
The two pressed their chests against him even more. The soft sensation was unlike anything he had experienced, save for memories of his mother from his previous life.
(No way… Am I being toyed with by these girls…?)
Rest shivered as a strange thrill coursed down his spine.
In his previous life, Rest had died at the age of seventeen. The fourteen-year-old Rosemary sisters should have seemed like middle schoolers to him. However, everyone in this country had a Western appearance. While Japanese people are often perceived as looking younger, to Rest, the sisters appeared as mature women, older than high school age.
(Considering my age in my previous life, I’m practically an old man… and yet I’m being flustered by these girls…!)
“Rest-kun?”
“Rest-sama?”
“Ugh… Viola-sama, Primula-sama, you’re too close. Please, back off a bit…!”
“You don’t need to add ‘sama’… but fine.”
“Yes, I’ll let it slide today.”
The sisters giggled mischievously and finally distanced themselves from Rest. The delightful sensation faded, leaving him with a mix of relief and disappointment.
“Now then, let’s tackle this next problem.”
“This is an application of the previous problem. I believe you can solve it, Rest-sama.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
(Focus… Yes, concentrate on the problem! Don’t think about the two of them anymore!)
Rest tried to direct all his attention to the materials on the desk, determined to ignore the sisters.
(I am a machine. A machine that only knows how to solve problems. Nothing else matters. Solve, solve, solve… Don’t think. Just feel! The sensation of their softness… No, not that!)
As he mentally scolded himself, Rest finished all the problems.
“I-I’m done…”
“Yes, good job!”
“Thank you for your hard work!”
“Y-yes… thank you very much…”
Exhausted in every sense, Rest slumped into a daze. The sisters, meanwhile, began grading his work, only to exclaim in unison, “Ah!”
“Primula, there’s a mistake here!”
“Indeed, sister. And it’s a rather basic error, too.”
“Eh…!?”
Panicking, Rest checked and found that he had indeed made an error on one of the problems. It had not been a difficult question, yet he had faltered due to simple carelessness.
“How unfortunate… I was planning to reward you if you got them all right…”
“Yes… it’s quite disappointing…”
The sisters spoke in unison, their expressions slightly downcast.
“A-a reward…?”
The thought intrigued him. He felt a strange mix of regret for not receiving the reward and relief that he hadn’t. It was an inexplicable feeling.
“I’m sorry… even though you both taught me so well. I’ll be more careful in the future…”
“Oh, then sister! How about we give him a ‘punishment’ instead of a reward?”
“Huh…?”
Primula clapped her hands together, as if she had come up with a brilliant idea.
“That sounds perfect! Primula, you’ve come up with a great suggestion!”
“Eh? W-wait, you two!?”
“Don’t resist. Stay still, Rest-kun.”
“That’s right. This is a penalty for making a simple mistake.”
With mischievous smiles, the sisters leaned in closer once more. Rest felt the soft curves pressing against his arms again.
“Eep…!”
“Now, for the punishment. Here we go…!”
“Rest-sama, brace yourself…!”
“Eek!?”
Rest let out a strange, high-pitched cry as the sisters prepared to administer their punishment.
“Ah… you two are being too bold…”
Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, the sisters’ maid stood with a bright red face. Although she was present to ensure that nothing inappropriate happened between the young man and the girls, her innocence and youth left her powerless to stop the sisters’ antics.