**Chapter 31: Family Meeting of the House of Marquis Rosemary**
Having been thoroughly beaten by Airishu in the training grounds, Rest was promptly carried to his room to receive treatment. His spine was nearly broken, and his internal organs were on the verge of bursting, but fortunately, his life was not in danger. In fact, it seemed he had been precisely battered to the brink where Healing magic could just barely mend him.
“Rest-kun…!”
“Rest-sama…!”
Viola and Primula—the Rosemary Sisters—gathered around Rest, tending to him. It was a scene reminiscent of a past redo, but what lay ahead was entirely different. The sisters, who had been caring for Rest, were soon summoned by their mother and led to the parlor within the mansion.
“…Is there something you need, Mother?”
“Muu…”
The two glared at their mother as they entered the parlor. Under the resentful gaze of her beloved daughters, Airishu chuckled wryly and shifted her legs on the sofa.
“Don’t glare at me like that, my dear daughters.”
“But, Mother…”
“That was just too cruel….”
“I thought I was being careful. If I had truly gone all out, his insides would have been splattered everywhere.”
““…………””
“It was a joke. Stop glaring at your mother so fiercely.”
Airishu attempted to soothe her daughters, but Viola and Primula’s expressions remained stern. They were evidently incensed about Rest being injured.
“Both of you, just sit down.”
The voice that interjected was that of their father, Albert, who was also present.
“I called you here to discuss something. Sit down.”
“…………”
“…Excuse us.”
The sisters cautiously took their seats on the sofa opposite their parents. Once they were settled, Airishu began to speak.
“Well then… I’m not good at sugarcoating things, so I’ll be blunt. Viola, Primula… you two will bear Rest’s children.”
““…………!?””
“Wha—Hey! You can’t just say it like that!”
Viola and Primula were left speechless by their mother’s bombshell announcement, while Albert hurriedly stood up in alarm.
“It would be better to, you know… phrase it more delicately…”
“Getting to the point is quicker than beating around the bush. We’ve decided to welcome him as the son-in-law of the House of Marquis Rosemary. Both of you will marry him. Make sure to have at least three children.”
“Mother… is that really alright?”
Primula asked hesitantly. Viola, on the other hand, stood frozen with her mouth agape, her expression resembling that of a clay figurine.
“Welcoming Rest as our son-in-law… well, I’m happy about it. But is it really okay for both me and my sister to accept him so easily…?”
Airishu’s proposal was, in fact, something they had hoped for. Primula had already decided to marry Rest, and Viola expected her sister to feel the same. Yet, the situation felt too convenient, leading them to suspect ulterior motives behind their mother’s words.
“There’s no need for suspicion. I have no hidden agenda.”
Faced with her daughters’ doubts, Airishu’s expression softened slightly.
“Originally, I intended for Viola to take a husband and inherit the family, while Primula would marry into another family to forge connections. However… if we’ve found a talent like him, that changes everything. It would be more beneficial for the House of Rosemary—and this country—to have as many children as possible who carry his blood.”
“Mother… you seem quite fond of Rest.”
“If you fight with your fists, you can understand most things.”
Airishu shrugged.
“In the past… I once fought against a sorcerer known as the ‘Heavenly Emperor.’ He was the chairman of the Sage Council and the world’s strongest magician. While Rest still shows signs of immaturity and inexperience, I sensed something within him that resonates with that power.”
“The ‘Heavenly Emperor’…”
“If I can bring in a magician with qualities equal to his, then having two daughters is a small price to pay. Even if you both cried and protested, I would have bound you and presented you to him.”
“…………Hey.”
Albert frowned at the ambiguous nature of her statement, unsure whether she was joking or serious.
“The fact that it didn’t come to that is a stroke of luck. If you both like him, then the matter is simple. Once the entrance exams for the Royal Academy are over, the three of you will be engaged. After graduation, you’ll marry and immediately begin having children.”
Airishu continued to speak as if it were all decided, pointing firmly at her daughters.
“Premarital relations are fine, but do take precautions. Children born before marriage will not have inheritance rights, which will cause them hardship!”
“…I won’t allow premarital relations.”
The easygoing mother and the quietly resentful father. As the conversation progressed, Viola, who had been in a daze, finally spoke up.
“Is it really okay? Can we really marry him, the three of us…?”
“That’s what I explained.”
“Then… after graduation, I can be with Rest and Primula forever?”
“Sister…”
“I’m so happy…!”
Viola beamed like a blooming rose, embracing her sister. Primula, too, smiled in response, gently stroking her sister’s back.
Even though they were close twin sisters, they wouldn’t be able to stay together forever. Eventually, they would have to choose different paths and drift apart. However, by sharing a single man like Rest between them, they could now walk through life together from this point onward. The joy of marrying the man they loved was matched only by this newfound bond.
“Primula…!”
“Sister…!”
The sisters, overwhelmed with emotion, embraced each other with tearful smiles. Albert, who had been sulking at the thought of losing his daughters, sighed and resigned himself to the situation as he watched them.
The parlor was enveloped in a warm and happy atmosphere.
“Oh… by the way, I almost forgot to mention.”
However, with a sudden thought, Airishu’s words shattered the peaceful ambiance.
“He will also be fathering children with several other women. I’ll be picking suitable daughters from branch families and vassals… and depending on the situation, I might even gather concubines from other families we’re friendly with. Make sure to get along with them as well.”
““What!?””
Just when everything seemed to have settled, her statement shattered the tranquility. The parlor erupted with the sounds of angry voices as the family engaged in a heated argument that continued late into the night.