**Chapter 33: The Rosemary Sisters Launch Their Assault**
After a series of twists and turns, Rest was officially recognized by Airishu, solidifying his position as a prospective son-in-law to the House of Marquis Rosemary. Even his father, Albert, the head of the family, reluctantly acknowledged Rest’s engagement to the sisters, making their relationship an open secret within the household.
The only issue at hand was that Rest himself was unaware that he had become the sisters’ fiancé. He believed he had been welcomed into the mansion merely as an apprentice servant, a gesture of gratitude for saving their lives. While he felt a sense of discomfort at how the sisters were closing the distance between them, he did not perceive it as affection.
Rather than being dull, this was likely due to his lack of experience in being loved. In his previous life, he had not known parental love, dedicating himself to studying and working part-time jobs to survive. He had friends, but no romantic partners. In this life, things were slightly better, with a familiar priest and a few friends from his commoner days, but he still had no romantic experience. The very notion of being loved by someone outside of his family had never crossed his mind.
And so, the Rosemary Sisters launched their fervent assault. They chose a thorough approach to ensure that Rest would see them as women.
“…Um.”
“What is it, Rest-kun?”
“What can I do for you, Rest-sama?”
“Isn’t this situation… a bit strange?”
Rest grimaced at the absurdity of his circumstances.
The three of them were in the bathing room of the House of Marquis Rosemary. Rest was only wrapped in a towel around his lower body, barely concealing his modesty. The sisters, while not completely naked, wore thin, damp robes that clung to their skin, accentuating their alluring curves. Such enticingly clad beauties were washing Rest’s back as he sat on a bath chair.
(This is… definitely strange…!?)
Rest’s mind was in turmoil. He understood that Viola and Primula were grateful to him for saving their lives. However, this was clearly going too far. If they were merely tutoring him, that would be one thing, but washing his back was beyond the bounds of gratitude.
“How’s the pressure?”
“Eep…!”
Primula whispered as she leaned closer, pressing her soft curves against his back, molding against him.
(What… is this weight on my back…!?)
What was this sensation? He had felt pressure from her before while studying, but this was entirely different. Of course, it was. Rest was currently bare, and Primula was only wearing a robe that was thinner than a negligee. The damp fabric felt almost like direct contact.
(…Does that mean she’s not wearing anything underneath?)
“I-I’ll wash you too!”
“Eep…!”
Now it was Viola, flustered, who pressed against him. Though slightly smaller than Primula, her firm chest was now in close contact with him.
(Even though they have the same chest, the sensations are different… No, I don’t like that I can tell the difference…!)
“W-Why are you both doing this…?”
“Why, you ask…? Don’t you understand yet?”
“…I don’t understand your feelings.”
“Eh…?”
Viola and Primula gazed at him with glistening eyes.
“We wouldn’t go this far for just anyone who saved our lives.”
“Exactly. We wouldn’t do this for anyone but someone special.”
“Hey, Rest-kun. Do you really not understand how we feel…?”
“…”
The warmth radiating from the two bodies pressing against him. How could he not notice that two young women were being this bold with him?
“Could it be…?”
Finally, a piece of the puzzle clicked into place in Rest’s mind.
(They have feelings for me…? No way!)
Rest finally realized that Viola and Primula might harbor romantic feelings for him.
(But… I don’t recall doing anything to deserve their affection…)
He hadn’t done anything significant—just helped them a little in the forest. Yet, somehow, that had led them to develop feelings for him. In his previous life, he had never known love from his parents. In this life, he had lost his mother early on and had been mistreated by his father, stepmother, and half-brother.
(They actually like me…?)
“Rest-kun?”
“Rest-sama?”
“…Thank you.”
Rest expressed his gratitude. He was thankful that they had feelings for someone like him. However, the sisters responded with slightly sulky voices.
“Thanking us feels a bit off, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, that’s not the words we want to hear.”
“Um…”
Even Rest, who was somewhat oblivious, understood that what they sought was not gratitude but a response to their affection.
“Um… I’m sorry.”
““Eh!?””
“Ah, no, no! That’s not what I meant!”
Rest hurriedly tried to clarify as the sisters looked disappointed.
“I’m really happy about your feelings. Truly, I’m incredibly happy! But… I don’t know how to respond to your feelings.”
He had been desperately working to change his circumstances. To prove himself to his father and stepmother, to make his brother eat his words. He was in the midst of striving to change a life that had been trampled upon. He had no time to spare for matters of the heart.
“So… could you give me some time? I promise I’ll respond properly when the right moment comes. Absolutely.”
“…Alright, I’ll wait for you. Because you’re special!”
“Of course, nothing will progress until you pass the entrance exam anyway.”
The two sisters snuggled closer to Rest, accepting his somewhat pitiful postponement of a response.
“Thank you…!”
Rest sincerely expressed his gratitude. There was no way he could dislike them. He just wished he had the confidence to reciprocate their feelings.
(I will grow stronger. I’ll rise higher and higher…! Once I can protect them properly, that’s when…!)
Rest vowed in his heart to respond to their feelings while trying to think of a way to distract himself from the warmth radiating from their bodies.