"What can I say... you really are a precious person, aren't you, Master Rest."
After their discussion about the engagement concluded, Celestine let out a slow sigh.
The location was the same as before: within the open-air bath.
Rest had turned beet red and scrambled out of the water; by now, he had surely dressed and returned to his room.
(He has the power to change a battlefield single-handedly, and he has two beautiful girls... no, perhaps even three or more attending him, yet that innocence. I can truly understand why Viola and the others hold such feelings of love for him.)
"Oh... this is no longer needed, I suppose."
Celestine removed the towel that had been covering her body.
A voluptuous figure with a generous bust and a narrow, willfully perfect waist. Her exquisitely maintained body was now bare beneath the night sky.
(Master Rest... you were watching my body the entire time, weren't you...)
With a wry smile, Celestine folded the damp towel and placed it beside the bath.
Women, surprisingly, are quite sensitive to a man's gaze.
She knew perfectly well that Rest, despite trying desperately not to look, kept glancing her way.
(If it were His Highness Rodele, he would have stared at me with that rude, unrestrained gaze. No... in fact, if I were in this state before him, my virtue would be long gone.)
Seeing Rest trying so hard to feign disinterest while clearly being intrigued by women made him appear utterly adorable to Celestine's eyes.
His personality wasn't bad either. The fact that Viola, Primula, and Yuri all looked up to him meant she had no complaints about taking him as a husband.
(If Master Rest were to reject the marriage, I would have no other options. I must, by any means, get him to accept...)
With Rodele having revolted and been executed... Celestine was left without a fiancé.
As a duke's young lady with royal blood in her veins, Celestine could not be married off to just any mediocre partner.
At the very least, he had to be a noble of count rank or higher. Or else, a member of another nation's royal family.
The crown prince is already married. Though it hasn't been publicly announced yet, a child will likely be born before long... Taking a secondary consort would only cause political turmoil. His Highness Andrew clearly has no intention of doing so, so she could not marry into the royal family.
And... nearly all men in the country with the rank of count or higher were already taken.
If House Crocus were to make a request, they likely wouldn't be refused... but it would mean breaking off an existing engagement.
Furthermore, marrying abroad was completely out of the question. While a marriage into the neighboring Gaiselle Empire would be a diplomatic victory, in the current climate, she would be little more than a hostage. It would be tantamount to marching to her death.
(In other words... for me as well, marrying Rest-san is probably the best option, isn't it?)
Celestine did not seek ideals in marriage.
Still... if it were possible, she had wanted to marry a man who was the polar opposite of Rodele—one without arrogance, a man who was considerate.
Rest might not be ideal, but he met the conditions.
She actually thought that Rest, who would likely face more hardships than herself from now on, would be someone with whom she could share her worries.
"Probably, I won't be refused, but... still, I should probably stop pursuing the matter any further, right?"
Celestine pressed a finger against her own breast.
If the sensation at the hot spring had been a figment of her imagination, she had intended to resort to the ultimate measure of a midnight visit.
However... judging from his earlier behavior, it was unlikely that Rest himself would refuse a proposal.
"It wouldn't be right to cut in front of Viola-san and Primula-san, so I'll behave myself for today, I suppose."
Whether that decision was fortunate or unfortunate for Rest...
Only the moon, gazing down at the hot spring from the night sky, knew the answer.