A New Beginning

"Be a kind child."

Those were her words shortly before she passed away.

Lying in bed, Rest's mother held his hand tightly, her voice barely a whisper.

"Be strong. Be resilient. Make lots of friends. Be happy."

"Mother..."

"I'm sorry I won't be there to watch you grow up. Thank you for making me a mother. Thank you for being born."

Rest felt that he was the one who should be expressing gratitude.

In his previous life, Rest had been born and raised without knowing a parent's love and had been murdered by the man who was supposed to be his father.

To Rest, these ten years, filled with his mother's love, had been the most precious days of his life. Even though he was a child born unwanted, a child of that cruel and irresponsible man, his mother had loved him, and for that, he could only feel gratitude.

Thank you for giving birth to me.

Thank you for loving me.

When he whispered those words, his mother smiled, a blissful expression on her face.

And then, with that smile, she breathed her last.

"Rest, don't let yourself become someone who hates the world," said a familiar priest to him after his mother passed away.

"In the days to come, you will face many trials. But remember, those trials are not meant to bring you unhappiness. The goddess only gives us trials we are capable of overcoming."

"..."

"Live strong and true. Don't let yourself be consumed by hatred or resentment. Help others, live with a smile, and you will find yourself surrounded by people. The loneliness you feel now will soon be a distant memory."

The priest's words were, at least half of them, correct.

Soon after, Rest was taken in by his father, and many trials came his way. He slept in stables, ate scraps, and was thrust into a life far more grueling than the one he had known as a commoner.

In truth, it was nothing short of a miracle that Rest had managed to live without harboring hatred towards his father, his stepmother, or Cedric. If he had taken a wrong step somewhere along the way, he might have become a creature of vengeance. He might have blamed them for his unjust life and directed the blade of revenge at them.

(But... that didn't happen.)

It didn't happen. He managed to hold himself back at the last moment. While he did want to prove his father wrong, outsmart his stepmother, and surpass Cedric by far, he didn't wish to kill them.

Perhaps it's because doing so would sadden his mother and the priest. Because he wanted to honor the love they had shown him, to prove that their love for him was not misplaced.

For these reasons, Rest resolved to carve his own path in life with integrity.

"…Huh?"

"You're awake, Rest!"

"Rest, are you in any pain?"

He had been dreaming of times long past. When Rest opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling and felt his hands held by two girls.

"Viola? Primula?"

Looking down at him with worried expressions were the sisters from the Rosemary Marquisate.

When he called their names, both Viola and Primula teared up and smiled gently.

"I'm sorry, Rest. It seems our butler went too far..."

"We invited you to our home to thank you, and then this happens... we're truly sorry."

"It's fine. I learned a lot from the experience."

Rest gently freed his hands from theirs and sat up. He felt no pain. There were no visible injuries, probably because someone had cast a healing spell on him while he was unconscious.

"I'll make sure Father and Diebel hear about this! Honestly, I won't forgive either of them!"

"Absolutely unforgivable," added Primula with a chilling tone.

Viola's face was like a fiery demon, while Primula's was cold and forbidding, like a witch from the frozen north. The contrast between the expressions of the identical twins made Rest shiver.

"R-really, it's fine! I'm not hurt at all, and I did learn something valuable from it!"

In truth, his fight with the butler of the Rosemary Marquisate had taught him a lot about his own shortcomings. He lacked experience in combat against other people and needed to improve his fighting skills. Realizing these deficiencies early on was actually helpful.

"But still... I lost, didn't I? Does that mean I won't get the recommendation letter?"

"What are you talking about? Of course, that's not the case!"

"Huh?"

"I'll make sure you get the recommendation letter. That butler—Diebel—used to be a court magician. You weren't supposed to win against him from the start."

Viola put her hands on her hips and declared this with conviction. It made sense why Diebel had been so strong—he was a seasoned magician.

(So my lack of experience in combat against other people is a weakness... I have no frame of reference for other magicians besides Cedric, so I don't have a clear gauge of strength.)

"Father has already promised to write the recommendation letter. If we both pass the exam next year, we'll be classmates," said Primula.

"Of course, that's only if we both pass the exams!" Viola added with a grin.

Primula reassured Rest with a smile, while Viola proudly puffed out her chest.

"I see… Thank you. It's because of you two that I now have this opportunity."

"We're just repaying you for saving our lives. But... have you been studying for the written exam? The practical magic exam should be no problem for you, but what about the written one?"

"Ah… no, I haven't really been studying..."

"In that case, we'll lend you our reference books."

"Uh, are you sure? I feel like I'm asking too much of you already."

"Of course it's fine, isn't it, Primula?"

"Absolutely. In fact, how about Rest just stays with us at our house? That way, we could help him with any questions he has while studying."

"Great idea!" Viola snapped her fingers as if the plan was perfect.

The conversation was heading in an outrageous direction, and Rest quickly raised his voice in protest.

"N-no way! I can't impose on you like that! I mean, it's not proper for me to stay in a house with two young ladies..."

"Why not?" Viola asked innocently.

"Why not...?"

"Father, Mother, the butler, and the maids all live here too. There's no reason to worry about such things."

"Exactly, Rest. Having you here would be so much more enjoyable. It's pointless to go to the trouble of sending reference books all the way to the Honorary Viscount's estate."

Viola and Primula spoke firmly, leaving Rest with no escape.

"Besides, Rest, you're an illegitimate child and haven't been treated well, right? I doubt the Honorary Viscount would object," said Viola.

"I also don't like going to the Honorary Viscount's estate to see you, because that unpleasant person is there," added Primula, referring to Cedric.

Cedric, it seemed, had fallen out of favor with the sisters.

"Alright, alright... if the Marquis approves, I'll accept your offer to stay here..."

In the end, Rest was persuaded by the sisters and agreed to their proposal, effectively leaving the decision up to the Marquis.

"It's settled, then! I'll go talk to Father right away!"

"I'll get a room ready! Oh, there's so much to do!"

Viola and Primula hurried out of the room, leaving Rest behind, staring at the door in disbelief at how drastically his life had changed in just one day.