**Chapter 54: A New Life Begins**
After finishing his final battle with his half-brother, Rest returned home to the House of Marquis Rosemary, his body enhanced by magic. Although it was evening when he arrived at the mansion, two familiar figures were waiting for him at the entrance.
“Ah, Rest!”
“Rest-sama!”
“Huh? Were you both waiting for me?”
Rest’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Viola and Primula standing at the entrance. He hadn’t informed them of his return time… just how long had they been waiting?
“Um, yeah… I was worried. You went there, after all.”
“The carriage came back without you, so I thought something might have happened!” Viola said, her tone awkward, while Primula sounded a bit angry.
The tense feelings Rest had just moments ago melted away, replaced by a warm sensation rising from deep within his chest. He felt accepted. There were people who cared about him. How blissful that was.
“I’m sorry for making you worry. But… thanks to you, I was able to settle things properly.”
Rest took both their hands and spoke in a gentle tone. The ring he had gifted them sparkled in his grasp.
“Those people will no longer be involved in my life. I’m sure of it.”
His father, a proponent of magical supremacy and an authoritarian, would not provoke a son who had become engaged to one of the Marquis’s daughters, someone above him in status. While there was a possibility his stepmother might act foolishly, she was insignificant. What could she possibly do?
(And then, Cedric…)
The Cedric Ebern Rest knew no longer existed in this world. He would never again appear before Rest or the Rosemary Sisters.
“So… it’s all right now. Thank you…”
““…””
Though Rest smiled gently, the Rosemary Sisters’ expressions clouded slightly. They likely thought he was forcing himself to be brave after severing ties with his family, no matter how twisted those bonds were.
“Alright! Then let’s celebrate by all taking a bath together today!”
“A… bath?”
“Yes! It’s a way to wash away all the unnecessary things! Let’s get nice and clean!”
Viola suggested, her face turning bright red. Rest was taken aback by her tomato-like complexion.
“Sounds good! As expected of you, big sister!”
Primula immediately agreed, her hands clasped together, beaming with joy.
“Rest-sama is taking a new step forward, so let’s all bathe together with a fresh mindset! It’s fine, we’re engaged after all!”
“Uh, well… we’ve been bathing together quite frequently even before we were engaged…”
“W-Well, starting today, we can share the bedroom too! I’m totally… um, totally fine with it!”
“Viola, you don’t look fine at all… If you’re that embarrassed, you could just not say anything…”
Viola, the one who proposed the idea, looked as if she might burst into flames at any moment. She was desperately trying to cheer Rest up, thinking he was feeling down.
“…It’s okay, I’m feeling better now.”
Rest chuckled at the sight of the sisters. With fiancées who cared for him so much, he had no reason to dwell on the trivial matters of his former family.
“You don’t have to force yourself so much; I’m already feeling better thanks to you two. Really… I’m so glad to have met you…”
“Rest…”
“Rest-sama…”
A sweet, warm atmosphere enveloped the three of them. However, Primula soon broke the moment with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
“But… let’s take a bath together. And for sleeping, we can push two beds together so we can all sleep side by side.”
““What!?””
“It’s fine. We’re engaged after all… Mother said as long as we practice safe measures, there’s no problem, right?”
With no hint of embarrassment, Primula dropped this bombshell, causing both Viola and Rest to lean back in shock.