In the study of the Ebern Viscount House, Rest's father, Lucas Ebern, angrily slammed his desk.
"Ah, damn it... that useless fool! What on earth is he doing?"
A few days ago, a letter arrived from the Rosemary Marquisate.
Since his eldest son, Cedric, had recently put the Marquisate's sisters in danger, Lucas opened the letter with trepidation, expecting the worst... but it turned out to be an invitation.
The letter was an invitation for his other son, Rest, to visit the Rosemary Marquisate's mansion.
Receiving this unexpected invitation, Lucas was genuinely bewildered.
Although Rest was the second son of the Ebern Viscount House, he was practically treated no better than a servant.
He was not allowed to live in the mansion and was made to live in the stables, eating leftovers for meals.
If he had any talent for magic, he would have been treated a little better... but as an infant, a magic aptitude test had diagnosed him with "No Magic Power."
If not for political reasons, Lucas would not have even taken him in.
(How on earth did that brat make any connections with the Rosemary Marquisate? A kid without magic power, practically a commoner, shouldn't be able to gain favor with the Marquisate even if he managed to sneak out of the mansion…!)
Rest said he met them in the mansion, but Lucas didn't believe it.
After all, Rest was only allowed in the mansion at breakfast.
The Rosemary sisters should have been with Cedric, so there shouldn't have been any opportunity for the useless son to meet them.
After receiving the invitation, Rest left for the Rosemary Marquisate but did not return even by nightfall.
Only the carriage that had taken him returned to the Ebern house, with a message: "Rest-kun is staying at the Marquisate overnight."
(How did that useless brat end up staying at the Marquisate's mansion overnight...! I don't understand, what is going on!?)
Lucas, holding his head in frustration, still hadn't seen Rest return even the next day.
Feeling deeply that something was happening beyond his knowledge, Lucas's stomach was in knots.
"Damn it...! Why do I have to worry about that useless fool? I was planning to kick him out next year...!"
"Honey, it's terrible!"
"Master, there's a problem!"
"Whoa!?"
Two people burst into the study.
Without even knocking, it was Lucas's wife, Liza, and the butler who worked at the mansion.
"Why did you burst in so suddenly!? You startled me!"
"This is no time to be saying that, dear!"
"That's right, Master!"
"W-What's going on...?"
"The Marquis... he's here!"
"Huh?"
Lucas blinked at the butler's words.
"Marquis Rosemary has arrived! He's here, at this mansion!"
"Whaaaaaat!?"
Upon receiving the unexpected report, Lucas nearly fell out of his chair in shock.
〇 〇 〇
When Lucas hurriedly arrived at the reception room, Marquis Rosemary was already seated on the sofa, waiting.
Behind him stood the butler of the Marquisate. If Lucas's memory was correct, that butler was a former court magician named Dieble.
"L-Lord Marquis Rosemary, I am honored to have you at my humble abode...! Today is such a fine day, and the garden flowers are in full bloom...!"
"Enough with the pleasantries. Sit down quickly."
Marquis Rosemary... Albert Rosemary pointed to the sofa opposite him. Despite being in Lucas's own mansion, Albert acted as if he owned the place.
Feeling sweat trickle down his forehead, Lucas took a seat on the sofa.
(I never expected Marquis Rosemary to come here in person...!)
Lucas struggled to keep his knees from trembling.
To Lucas, Albert was his superior during his time as a court magician.
Overall, he considered Albert a generous and good superior.
He didn't wield his authority as a high-ranking noble arrogantly and would even listen to the concerns of his subordinates.
Unless it was a major mistake, Albert rarely reprimanded harshly.
Many of the court magicians admired and spoke highly of Albert, seeing him as an ideal superior.
However... Lucas was also aware that Albert was lenient with his family and doted on his wife and daughters.
Lucas's scheme to have Cedric woo one of the Rosemary sisters, aiming to marry her and gain a foothold in the Marquisate, was based on exploiting this aspect of Albert.
(If Cedric had managed to win over one of the sisters, our family would have become related to the Rosemary Marquisate. We could have enjoyed the protection of a marquis who is lenient with his kin...!)
Had that happened, his career as a court magician would have been smooth sailing.
Cedric, who would eventually enroll in the Royal Academy and become a court magician, would have had a secure future.
However, this plan had backfired spectacularly.
Lucas had believed that his proud son, Cedric, could easily win the sisters' hearts... but instead, it only resulted in earning the Marquis's wrath.
"I came here today to talk about your son."
"S-Surely you mean Cedric... I deeply apologize for the recent incident! Truly, from the bottom of my heart... please forgive us...!"
Lucas prostrated himself on the floor, apologizing.
There was no excuse for what had happened. All he could do was apologize.
"No, it's not about him. I'm talking about your other son."
"The trash... I mean, Rest? Has that useless boy done something to offend you, my lord...!?"
"Useless? Trash? Could it be... you're treating your own flesh and blood in such a manner?"
"N-No, I...!"
Lucas's face turned pale at his blunder.
His lips trembled as he desperately tried to come up with an excuse.
"...Well, never mind. I didn't come here today to criticize your character."
Albert snorted, settling back into the sofa and crossing his legs.
"I came to discuss something with you. I'd like the Marquisate to take in Rest... your son."
"Wha... you want him, at the Marquisate...?"
"Yes, I intend to have him work as a servant-in-training. You have no objections, do you?"
"N-No, of course not... but he's 'without magic power,' you know? Why would you...?"
Lucas was utterly baffled.
He could understand if they wanted Cedric, a magical prodigy, but he couldn't fathom why they would want a useless boy who couldn't do much more than tend to horses.
"...Do I have to explain myself to you?"
"N-No, no, no! If he's acceptable, we will gladly offer him to you! Please use him as you see fit!"
"I'm glad you're so agreeable. That concludes my business here."
Albert stood up, and the butler promptly opened the reception room door.
"M-My Lord Marquis..."
"In exchange for taking him, I will forget about the disgrace your precious son brought upon us. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"Y-Yes! Thank you so much!"
Lucas bowed again, pressing his forehead to the floor's carpet as Albert's footsteps faded away.
"W-We're saved...?"
Cautiously, he lifted his head.
Albert was no longer there. He had already left the mansion.
Given how lenient Albert was with his family, Lucas wouldn't have been surprised if he had been fired from his position as a court magician, and Cedric's future was also jeopardized.
Yet, for some reason, inexplicably, they had been spared.
"That useless fool finally did something worthwhile... though I have no idea what made him so favorable in the Marquis's eyes..."
Could it be that one of the Rosemary sisters had fallen in love with Rest at first sight?
The thought crossed Lucas's mind, but he quickly dismissed it with a laugh.
(Not even the most capable Cedric could have caught the eye of such noble daughters... Surely, this is just some whim.)
Lucas, who judged solely based on visible talent, still refused to acknowledge Rest.
(Though this failure could have been disastrous... well, there's still a chance. They'll be attending the same academy next year!)
Despite narrowly escaping a fatal mistake, Lucas hadn't given up on securing one of the Rosemary sisters.
The arrogant, narrow-minded father thought to himself:
"This time, luck was just not on our side. But once they get to know Cedric better, the Marquisate's daughters will surely come to like him."
After all, Cedric is a genius.
A brilliant son who had inherited his talent.
Different from that useless commoner's child... his one and only true son.
"When he enrolls in the academy, I'll make sure to tell him to woo the Marquisate's daughter carefully... take his time with it..."
A fool is called a fool because they do not learn from their mistakes.
With foolish thoughts swirling in his mind, Lucas smiled smugly.