Blood-soaked Yuri Cattleya burst into the room.
Her entrance was sudden enough, but the words that tumbled from her mouth were even more startling.
It was, of all things, a proposal.
"All right, hold on! Don't rush into anything!"
Rest was actually more flustered than anyone else, but… even so, he managed to pull himself together through sheer force of will.
"First, Viola and Primula. This is completely unexpected from my side too, you know? I didn't make any advances or try to seduce her, so please don't misunderstand!"
Granted, his stance was totally fine with polygamy and having lovers… but he wanted to make that clear just in case.
"O-okay…"
"Understood…"
Viola and Primula had come back to their senses and nodded at Rest's words.
Next, Rest turned to the servants who had chased after Yuri.
"And you two in the back—the butler and the maid. Could you heat up a bath and prepare a change of clothes? Also, the floor and the hallway need cleaning, if you wouldn't mind!"
"Y-yes, right away…"
"We'll prepare everything immediately…"
Once they had withdrawn… Rest cleared his throat with a small cough before turning back to Yuri.
"And now… Yuri. Let me hear the full story."
"Right, got it. Marriage is when a man and woman become husband and wife and have children…"
"Mm, I wasn't asking for the definition of marriage. What I mean is… could you walk me through everything that's happened from the time we parted ways until today, in order?"
The last time Rest had seen Yuri was when they went together to subjugate a worm. They'd completed the mission, returned from the east side of the Sabnock Plains, and gone their separate ways. That was it.
When they'd parted, there hadn't been any talk of romance whatsoever.
So why on earth had she suddenly shown up talking about wanting to get married and having beaten up the knight commander?
"Ah, sorry. I kind of jumped ahead there."
"Kind of? You jumped way ahead…"
"Then let me explain."
Yuri nodded, puffed out her chest with an oddly cheerful smile, and began.
"The last time I met Rest and we parted ways… I realized something. I wanted to marry Rest."
"Mm."
"So I went and kicked my father's butt."
"…Mm."
"And since I beat him, I came here. Marry me."
"……………Hm?"
"Great! So you'll marry me, then!"
"Mm… no, wait! That's not what that 'hm' meant!"
Unable to hold back any longer, Rest shouted.
"I can't understand that explanation! First of all, how did you even fall for me?!"
"Well, you saved me when I fell, we took classes together… and then we slept in the same bed, and before I knew it, I felt lonely without you. I started wanting to be together with you all the time. I never realized it before, but… I think I'm in love with you. Let's get married and have kids."
"All right, thank you!"
He figured he'd at least say thank you first.
He'd asked her to explain, but he hadn't expected her to be quite that blunt. He was so embarrassed he wanted to roll around on the floor.
"Well… I kind of figured that much out."
"Because it was so obvious, you know. Lady Yuri."
Meanwhile, Viola and Primula exchanged knowing glances, looking fully convinced.
Rest had known, of course, that Yuri was fond of him. As everyone knew, she was carefree and innocent—an untamed wild child—so he'd never been sure whether those feelings were romantic in nature.
"So… why did you beat up the knight commander?"
"My father opposes me going out and associating with men. As long as he's around, he'd never approve of my marriage to Rest."
"D-did you… kill him?"
If her father was alive, the marriage couldn't happen. Which meant… he'd been disposed of.
"No, he's alive. I beat him, but he didn't die."
"Ah, thank goodness."
"His arms and legs were both shattered, his neck had been twisted about a hundred and eighty degrees, and nearly half the blood in his body had drained out… but he is my father, after all. He wouldn't die from something like that."
"No, he absolutely would die from that!!"
No matter how you looked at it, those were fatal injuries. Any normal person would have been dead.
"He still didn't agree to the marriage… but the rule of House Cattleya is that the stronger one is right. Since he lost, I won't let him object!"
"I-I see…"
"So marry me! Don't worry—I'll make you happy!"
"…………"
Rest looked over at Viola and Primula with a helpless expression.
Both of them looked troubled, but they managed to squeeze out words between sighs.
"For now… why don't you take a bath and wash up…"
"My sister and I will join you… and we'll hear the full story."
"Ah…!"
The two of them pulled Yuri out of the room as though dragging her along.
Left behind in the now-empty room, Rest let his shoulders slump with the relief of having survived the storm.