Rest accepted the Marquis of Rosemary's proposal and faced the butler in a mock battle.
Though the result was a defeat... the Marquis agreed to write him a letter of recommendation, and Rest ended up staying at the Marquis's residence for the night.
The next day, as he was thinking he ought to head home soon from the guest room, he was summoned to the Marquis's office.
"...And so, House Rosemary has decided to take you in."
"Wait, what do you mean!?"
The words the Marquis of Rosemary had declared with a somewhat bitter expression caused Rest's voice to crack involuntarily.
"Hurray!"
Right next to Rest, Viola and Primula clasped their hands together and leaped up and down.
The twin sisters, who differed in both hair color and personality, bounced up and down in perfect sync, crying out in joy.
"So this means I get to live with Rest from now on!"
"Rest, if you'd like, shall we play some chess? Cards would be fine too, you know?"
"Hey, Primula. Rest isn't here to play, you know! He's living here to study!"
"Of course, I understand that perfectly well. But... surely one day to relax would be alright? He was still injured from the mock battle yesterday, after all."
"Hmm... That's true! Then, how about we chat in my room? There are so many things I want to ask Rest!"
"Ahem!"
The Marquis of Rosemary let out a loud cough at his daughters, who were getting carried away.
"...Rest will only be taken on as an apprentice servant, at least for now. Anything beyond that will depend on whether he is accepted into the Royal Academy. Both of you, make sure you understand that clearly."
"Okaaay."
"Understood."
"Now then… Rest."
Marquis Rosemary fixes Rest with a hard stare.
"You will reside in one of the rooms in this manor as a member of our household staff, and under the guise of vocational training, you will prepare for the entrance examination. I cannot offer you a salary, but… in exchange, we will provide for your food, clothing, and shelter."
"That's perfectly fine, but… are you sure about this? It's nothing but a good deal for me…?"
"You are the one who saved my daughter's life. The least I can do is give back in this way. Besides… you will be taking the examination with our household's recommendation, so I cannot have you fail."
"That's right, Rest! Don't hold back!"
"We are truly grateful to you, Rest. Something like this hardly repays you for what you've done."
Viola and Primula chime in to support him.
Their family was among the most powerful noble houses in the entire kingdom.
Taking in one servant and giving them a room in the manor was probably trivial for them.
"If you have any other requests, I intend to grant them as much as possible. However… don't even think about asking to share a room with my daughter!"
"I-I wouldn't ask for something like that!"
Rest waved both hands in a hurry.
They had taken him in from living in a stable and were even going to support him through the entrance exam.
There was no way he could ask for anything more than that.
"Ah…"
One request did come to mind, though.
Marquis Rosemary raised an eyebrow, his monocle glinting.
"Seems like you have something on your mind. Out with it."
"Um… if it's all right, I was wondering… could I ask that butler to teach me how to fight?"
「Oh? How to fight?」
"Yes. I realized during the mock battle the other day that I don't have enough experience fighting people. I was hoping the butler could teach me a few things about that…"
"Hmm…"
Marquis Rosemary glanced toward the entrance of the room.
The butler standing beside the door gave a deep nod.
"I have always thought Rest-dono had great potential. If it is your wish, I would be happy to oblige."
"Diebl says the same, so I've no objection so long as it doesn't interfere with your studies. The examination includes a practical component, after all."
"Thank you very much."
Rest bowed his head to Marquis Rosemary, then turned and bowed to the butler behind him.
"Now then, that settles it! We need to get a room ready for Rest!"
"He can have the room next to mine, yes? It would be most convenient for tutoring."
"Absolutely not, Primula! Rest will be staying in the room next to mine!"
"Sister, that's nonsense. I'm far better suited to tutoring, so the room next to mine would be the logical choice!"
"Wha—!"
The Rosemary sisters each grabbed one of Rest's arms and began to argue.
Sandwiched between the two sisters, Rest's eyes darted about in bewilderment.
"Rest… I trust you understand, but if you lay a single hand on my daughters, you will answer to me…!"
"H-Help…!"
To make matters worse, even the marquis clamped a hand on Rest's shoulder, fixing him with a grin that carried a peculiar, terrifying intensity.
(Wh-what is this… what am I supposed to do…?)
The sisters showered him with unbridled goodwill. The marquis glared with eyes bloodshot with jealousy.
Surrounded by the three of them, Rest spun his eyes in utter bewilderment.
Rest had always been treated coldly at House Eberun, but it seemed that treatment too favorable could just as easily spiral into distress.
After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that Rest would stay in a room on the same floor as the sisters, albeit one situated at some distance from theirs.