**Chapter 87: A Garden Date with Primula**
With magic enhancing his speed to the maximum, Rest dashed along the highway. He managed to avoid getting lost, dozing off like a rabbit, or encountering a mysterious beautiful girl falling from the sky… and safely arrived at his destination.
“Oh, welcome back, Rest-sama.”
“Haah, haah… I’m back, Primula.”
Upon returning to the mansion in the Rosemary Marquis Territory, a familiar face greeted him. The mansion was larger than the one in the Royal Capital. In the garden, Primula was tending to the flowers. Seeing her carefully pruning the blooming roses filled Rest with an overwhelming sense of relief.
“I heard you were off to slay monsters in the neighboring territory, but you’re back quite early… What’s wrong? You seem out of breath.”
Primula took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Rest’s brow. Even with the speed granted by magic, exhaustion was still exhaustion. While physical fatigue could be healed with Healing magic, the mental fatigue from continuous spellcasting was unrelated to magical capacity. Even Rest couldn’t escape it.
“Well, I was just having a little race… Is there anyone who got back here before me?”
“No, there shouldn’t be. I’ve been taking care of the flowers since early afternoon, and neither Father nor the other mages have returned yet.”
“I see… That’s a relief.”
It seemed he was indeed the first to arrive. It hadn’t taken him more than thirty minutes to get here since he left, so he had expected as much.
(With this, I can proudly say I’m worthy of both of them…)
“By the way… Is your work done for the day, Primula?”
Just as Rest had accompanied Albert to slay monsters, Primula and Viola had been working on managing the territory at the mansion. Normally, this would be the work of the Marquis and his wife, but as they were to inherit the territory one day, they were taking the opportunity to study and gain experience.
“I finished my work in the morning. Now it’s my break time, so I’m just playing with the flowers. My sister went shopping in town.”
“I see…”
Rest surveyed the spacious garden. This was the territory of the House of Marquis Rosemary, the very heart of their domain. While the garden at their second house in the Royal Capital was splendid, this one was much larger and boasted a greater variety of flowers. Surrounded by such a colorful array of blooms, Primula looked as delicate as a fairy.
“…It’s beautiful.”
“Ah, yes. It is beautiful, isn’t it? Right now, the roses are in full bloom!”
“No, I’m not talking about the roses… Well, it’s fine, though.”
Rest shifted his gaze away from the roses to the side. In the adjacent flowerbed, white lilies were blooming. They were flowers that typically blossomed a bit later in the season, but perhaps they were early bloomers.
“Roses are lovely, but lilies are beautiful too.”
The roses reminded him of Viola. They bloomed flamboyantly, drawing attention with their vibrant colors and strong fragrance. In contrast, the lilies evoked the image of Primula. They were modest and unassuming, yet quietly nestled in the corners of people’s hearts… such a delicate flower.
“While no one can deny the beauty of roses, lilies hold their own charm. I like both.”
“…That’s true. I like both as well.”
Though Primula likely didn’t grasp Rest’s underlying intention, she smiled sweetly like a flower.
“By the way, Rest-sama, do you know about ‘flower language’?”
“No… I don’t know. If you don’t mind, could you tell me?”
“Of course! First, the flower language of lilies means ‘purity’ and ‘innocence.’ As for roses… their meanings vary by color. For red, it’s ‘affection’ and ‘passion,’ while for white…”
Surrounded by the garden’s flowers, Rest and Primula engaged in pleasant conversation. They enjoyed a graceful and tranquil afternoon together. However, it was over three hours later that the boys and young men who had been racing against Rest finally arrived at the mansion. Having been thrown off by Rest’s head start, they had completely lost their pace and exhausted their magical energy and stamina. By the time they arrived, taking longer than usual, Rest had completely forgotten about them and was enjoying afternoon tea with Primula.