Chapter 29: My Birthday

As the sun set beneath the evening sky, her carriage came to a stop in front of the mansion. When a woman of noble bearing alighted from the carriage, numerous waiting servants respectfully greeted her.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“This time, there was quite a tough one.”

Viviana naturally took off her coat and handed it to an elderly servant. The old man received the coat with a kindly smile and replied,

“But surely, they were no match for you, my lady.”

“Well, of course.”

With a slight chuckle, Viviana walked gracefully. Despite having just returned from a battlefield, she showed no signs of fatigue as she made her way toward her office.

The head butler, Alphonse, followed her silently. The office they arrived at displayed the same familiar scene as always. A luxurious desk was piled with stacks of documents. With her usual impassive gaze, she sat in her chair, took a cigarette from its usual place, and put it to her lips.

The tiresome repetition of daily life. Just as always, Viviana was about to light her cigarette without hesitation when…

Cough, cough!

In the midst of her monotonous routine, the distress of a woman flashed through her mind. Viviana paused for a moment, holding the cigarette, then clicked her tongue briefly and lit it.

“Still no word?”

At Viviana’s question, the old man sighed shortly.

“No, not even a letter.”

“Ha.”

The old man couldn’t understand. Why was she, who had always stood so proudly, waiting so anxiously for a letter from a mere young lady of a declining family? Could it be that she had some weakness related to the Merdellia duchy?

“It’s not like you, my lady. It’s just a young lady from a fallen family.”

“I know.”

Seeing Viviana’s expression, which showed her discomfort, the old man did not scold her further. After a brief silence passed through the office, the old man seemed to remember something and brought up a topic.

“Speaking of her, I heard there’s a small banquet at the Blanc mansion next week.”

“What?”

“I heard it’s that young lady’s birthday.”

Viviana’s eyes widened in surprise, then she let out a bemused smile and exhaled cigarette smoke. Through the thick smoke, her violet eyes glowed faintly yet ominously.

“So, they didn’t invite me?”

With that, Viviana stood up from her chair and left the office. Leaving the head butler behind, she headed to a secluded part of the mansion, to a secret room hidden within a library.

The secret room was covered in pure white marble, and a luxurious piano was placed beneath a large window. Viviana sat calmly in front of the piano, sighed, and slowly placed her fingers on the keys.

The notes that soon flowed from her fingertips filled the air with a subtle fragrance. The sound of the piano encapsulated her deep emotions and noble elegance, enveloping the room. Even the smallest movements of her wrists were filled with grace, making it seem as if she were dancing.

[I think I’ve fallen for you, Viviana.]

[It was truly beautiful. It was the best performance I’ve ever heard. This is not a lie, it’s the truth.]

[I’m always cheering for you.]

That’s not very ladylike.

Clang!

As Viviana pressed the keys forcefully with her fingertips, a discordant sound echoed from the instrument. She lightly closed her eyes and let out a small chuckle as she tapped the piano keys.

“Pff, what am I even doing?”

Alphonse was right. It was unlike her to waste her energy on a powerless young lady.

She had only met the lady a few times. She had a long way to go to invest time in someone like that.

Since the young lady from the Blanc family seemed to be avoiding her, it was only proper to let it be. There was no need for her to seek out such a person.

With a clear solution in mind, Viviana’s eyes regained their clarity. The frustration that had been weighing on her chest disappeared, leaving only a sense of freedom without a trace of regret.

“However, there’s one thing I need to do.”

She tried to manipulate me with charming and cunning words. She played with me on her small, white palm, even though I am the noble lady of the House of Merdellia, whom even the emperor would not dare to take lightly.

She tempted me with false words and ended up betraying me. This was a serious insult to the House of Merdellia. And my personality wasn’t forgiving enough to let this go.

“I’m the type who always pays back for insults, Miss Blanc.”

You were the one who did wrong first, Miss.

So, I trust you’ll understand if I cause a bit of trouble.

***

It was a bright and sunny morning. The sunlight embraced the ground more warmly than before, and the birds’ chirping sounded more harmonious.

For once, I didn’t feel the pain of my period. I stepped out of the room with lighter steps and walked quickly to the kitchen, where a lady was enjoying tea in an elegant atmosphere.

She was the woman who loved me the most in this world. Her blue eyes curved like a beautiful crescent moon as she greeted me.

“Happy birthday, my daughter.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

Without hesitation, I ran into her arms. Her always ample embrace enveloped my face. As I nuzzled against her chest, something heavy was placed in my hand.

“A birthday gift.”

“Wow! Can I open it?”

Mother nodded with a gentle smile. As I opened the carefully wrapped gift box, inside was an amulet with a small blue gem.

I stared blankly at the amulet. It was simple, without any extravagant decorations, but that simplicity only emphasized the beauty of the blue gem in the center.

The other noblewomen’s jewels are certainly much more expensive. But why is it that, even if I sold all the other gifts, I couldn’t bear to part with this amulet, even if it meant my death?

“Don’t misunderstand, Tina. The gemstone in the center is a magic stone.”

“A magic stone?”

“Yes, it has a feature that causes it to vibrate if another magic stone with the same resonance frequency is nearby.”

Mother carefully showed me her hand. On her slender fingers was a ring set with a gemstone of the same color as the amulet.

When Mother tapped the gemstone on the amulet twice with her finger, both the amulet and her ring began to vibrate intensely.

“I’ve been worried about you lately, Tina. I’m anxious that something might happen to you. That’s why I prepared this gift.”

“It’s kind of like a tracking device, isn’t it?”

“…Yes. If you feel uncomfortable, you don’t have to wear it. Or you can sell it at the market and buy something you want. It should fetch a good price.”

Considering Mother’s personality, it must have been a gift she chose with deep thought and care. Her suggestion to sell it made me look at her with a sullen expression.

Silly Mother, you still don’t know me.

Without a word, I handed the amulet back to her and turned my back. I lifted my long, flowing hair, revealing the back of my neck.

“…Please put it on, Mother.”

Mother stared at me silently for a while, then carefully placed the amulet around my neck. The shimmering blue gem settled just below my throat, along with the delicate silver chain.

I spun around and smiled brightly at her. As always, I ran into her arms.

“This is the best gift I’ll receive today. Thank you, Mother.”

“Hoho, you say that before receiving the other gifts.”

“No, I’m sure of it.”

How could I dislike a gift that clearly shows Mother’s concern for me? Besides, I’ll probably sell all the other gifts, so this one will be the only precious treasure to me.

“I love you, Mother. I’ll cherish it and keep it safe.”

“Thank you for thinking so.”

“Hehe… Of course.”

After that, we had a pleasant meal, sharing light conversation. Then I had to be quite busy.

I meticulously checked that nothing was missing for the tea party to entertain the young ladies arriving soon, making sure everything was perfect.

Time flew by as I worked, and before I knew it, splendid carriages were starting to arrive at the entrance of the Blanc mansion.

As I watched the young ladies gather in the garden through the window, I felt a familiar presence behind me.

“My lady, it’s time for you to join them.”

“Renihel.”

I turned away from the window and looked at her. Renihel looked at me with wide eyes and placed her hand on her chest with a satisfied smile.

“I thought the guests outside looked beautiful, but as expected, you are the star of today.”

“Hoho… Thank you. I’ll go out now.”

I greeted Renihel and descended the stairs with excited steps. As I approached the garden, I could hear the cheerful laughter of the young ladies.

I paused for a moment, then used my fingers to form a bright smile on my face. After checking my reflection in the mirror, I rushed outside.

To the young ladies waiting for me.

To the gifts they had prepared.