Viola and Yuri came back bringing Celestine, the duke's young lady, with them.
Celestine was the daughter of the prime minister, and the daughter of the Eiger marquis house — the foremost noble family.
I had heard that despite being a student, she had been running around dealing with the aftermath of the Eiger marquis's rebellion… so why was she here in the frontier development village?
"We ran into her back there, so I brought her along. I figured since she was here, we might as well invite her to stay for dinner."
"Good evening. I was planning to pay a visit to Clover Count… Rest, that is… sometime tomorrow…"
Following Viola's words, Celestine lowered her brows apologetically.
"Oh? Did you come here because you needed something from me?"
"Yes. Regarding the matter you asked me about… I thought I'd come deliver my report in person."
"Ah… that thing. You really didn't need to come all the way here yourself, Celestine…"
The truth was, Rest had asked Celestine for a certain favor.
Not only had he caused her trouble, but he had made her come all the way to a place like this… He felt terribly sorry about it.
"That… I'm sorry about that. I mean…"
"No, it's quite alright. I had been wanting to visit the frontier development village at least once, anyway."
Celestine smiled gently with a composed expression.
She shared the status of noble young lady with Viola and Yuri, but Celestine possessed an aura that was distinctly more refined.
(Elegant, or maybe luxurious… I don't know how to put it, but she just has a completely different atmosphere from commoners…)
Of course, that wasn't to say Viola and the others weren't ladylike enough.
They were all young ladies of noble birth, but Celestine was simply that much more polished.
That said… Yuri was the one exception who definitely didn't come across as a noble young lady.
"Lord Rest, dinner is just about ready, so perhaps... we could sit and talk?"
Primula timidly interjected.
Rest nodded and gestured toward the chairs at the dining table with his hand.
"For now... let's sit down. We can talk while we eat."
"Thank you. I'd be happy to join you. Is there anything I can help with?"
"It's fine. Everything will be ready soon, so please just wait a moment."
"Primula's soup is to die for. She learned from the chef at House Rosemary, you know."
As Primula modestly declined to help, Viola puffed out her chest and boasted on her behalf as if it were her own accomplishment.
Rest and the ladies gathered around the table, and dish after dish of food was set out before them.
"It all looks wonderful. Primula, you really are quite skilled, aren't you?"
"It's just an amateur doing her best impression. I'd be happy if it suits Lady Celestine's taste, though..."
"Mm, delicious. As expected of Primula!"
Yuri was the first to start eating, eagerly praising Primula.
"This soup has such a lovely flavor... It's sweet, deep, and rich without being heavy."
"See? Primula is amazing."
"Honestly, for a noble young lady to be able to cook this well on her own is seriously impressive. It's not worse than what a professional chef could make, is it?"
"P-please, you're all flattering me too much..."
Receiving high praise from Celestine, Viola, and Rest alike, Primula's cheeks flushed bashfully.
She looked absolutely adorable. Rest genuinely thought it was an expression worth rooting for.
(Primula seems to have a complex about her older sister Viola, but... honestly, Primula is the more impressive one in a lot of ways.)
Viola has a bright personality, great athletic skills, and even surpasses her younger sister in magic.
However, when it comes to academic grades, Primula is on top. She also excels at housework like cooking and sewing, and her skills are by no means inferior to Viola's.
(Besides... by just a small margin, even in terms of chest size...)
"Rest, what's wrong? You've got a strange look on your face."
"Lord Rest?"
"Wh-no, it's nothing...!"
Viola and Primula were peering at him with puzzled expressions.
He panicked, thinking they might have seen through the sinful thoughts in his heart.
"Ah, um... Lady Celestine, would it be alright if I asked about that matter?"
Rest cleared his throat to brush off the moment, then redirected the conversation toward Celestine.
"You came all this way specifically to report, right? Could I hear what you have to say?"
"Oh my, Rest. What exactly did you ask Celestine to do?"
Viola tilted her head. Beside her, Primula also wore an expression full of interest.
Come to think of it... he hadn't told the two of them yet. It wasn't that he was deliberately hiding anything.
"Yes, of course. Then... I shall begin my report."
After dabbing her mouth with a napkin, Celestine complied with Rest's request.
"Regarding the royal family assets that Lord Rest inherited... the estate of the late Third Prince Rodele, the organization is complete, so I am here to deliver my report."