Chapter 54 : Side Story: Welcome to My Favorite Character’s Birthday!

Time passes quickly.

It moves forward on its own path, uncaring of those living their lives.

In that ever-flowing stream, the seasons change, and we all grow older.

And with that, the events that mark each year come and go again.

And today was more festive than any other day.

“Ah, I truly thank all of you for coming today.”

The banquet hall was brighter than usual, lit by dazzling chandeliers.

Though it seemed a little empty because only close acquaintances were invited, if too many people came, tonight’s star would’ve felt overwhelmed.

“To celebrate the birthday of my beloved Serena—so precious I could put her in my eyes and it wouldn’t hurt—I’m truly happy as her sister to have you all here.”

“S-sister, please stop…”

“I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I became the sister of this unruly girl. I feel so emotional, I think I might cry—”

Just as I was about to pour out my overflowing feelings, Serena, who was standing beside me, tugged hard on my dress.

With a furrowed brow and an exasperated look, it was clear she was embarrassed I was talking so much in front of everyone.

Hehe.

But that’s exactly the face I wanted to see.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Huh?”

Oops, caught.

Well, it doesn’t really matter.

I already said everything I wanted to say anyway.

“Now then, once again, thank you all for coming! Let’s raise our glasses for our adorable Serena—cheers!”

“Cheers!!”

As I lifted my wine glass high, everyone followed suit.

The drinks sloshed and spilled slightly onto the floor, but who worries about little things like that at a party?

“Haah…”

Our star of the night blushed bright red, clearly unaccustomed to this kind of welcome.

If I left her like that, she might’ve gone off to find a mouse hole to hide in.

So I placed my hand on her shoulder to give her a bit of encouragement, and Serena looked up at me with a slight shiver.

“Tonight, you’re the star. Don’t be too shy—just enjoy it as you are.”

“O-okay!”

Encouraged by my words, she finally showed a bright smile.

Nothing beats that smile—she’s at her prettiest when she smiles.

*

“Hey, Ershi~.”

“Oh, Keira. Long time no see. How have you been?”

“Ugh. I’m dying from exhaustion.”

I did invite only close friends, but I didn’t actually expect everyone to show up.

After all, everyone has their own lives and schedules.

But thanks to that, I got to see some familiar faces I hadn’t seen in ages.

For example, a fellow academy alum who’d become a research slave after joining the Magic Tower?

“I was supposed to be stuck in the lab today too, but since it’s your sister’s birthday, I sneaked out.”

“Uh… is that okay?”

The professors are definitely going to say something if they find out.

“I don’t care. That’s a problem for tomorrow-me.”

“Totally irresponsible…”

Should I say thank you or apologize for making her go through all that?

Still, she’d done up her usually messy hair and even wore a dress, so she looked much better than usual.

It was a bit sad to see the former ‘Goddess of Magic Creation’ from school looking so faded now.

If only she’d listened to people back then.

Poor girl.

“By the way, how come you never told me you had a sister like that?”

“Sorry, sorry. It wasn’t exactly a secret or anything though?”

While we were chatting and catching up.

“What is this? A birthday party or a school reunion?”

A cheerful voice, unusually lively, broke into the conversation.

I turned my head to see someone walking over, her fiery red dress matching her equally red hair.

Her steps were elegant and her appearance was that of a proper lady—except for the giant glass in her hand, almost the size of her head, which made her look hilariously mismatched.

Not that it was strange once you knew it was Victoria.

“I’m seeing all the faces I was starting to miss. This is really quite a reunion.”

“Oh, if it isn’t the princess. Long time no see, Your Highness.”

“Ha. That’s a bit of a cold thing to say. Did you forget my personality from being stuck in the Magic Tower doing research all the time? Hm?”

“Ah, wait, wait. I was just joking around a little.”

Keira had gotten a little playful out of happiness, but ended up with Victoria putting an arm around her shoulder.

It wasn’t like Victoria was trying to hit her or anything, but given that she could lightly smack someone as a joke, it was understandable to get startled.

That foolish side of her brought back memories of their academy days, which was a little nostalgic, but still—maybe it was time to change the subject.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect you or Keira to come. You didn’t, like, sneak out or anything, right?”

It was just a throwaway joke, said without much thought.

“To a certain extent? I dropped everything and came when I heard it was your little brother’s birthday.”

But she really did drop everything, which was honestly absurd.

And she’s supposed to be the eldest daughter of the country?

This country’s doomed.

“But I didn’t expect your little brother to be like that. Reyzen mentioned him from time to time, so I was curious what kind of kid he was… but he’s really cute.”

“Oh? Really?”

So Prince Reyzen mentioned her in private?

That’s something worth looking into.

This might be a good chance to find out what he really thinks about Serena.

“What exactly did he say? About our Serena, I mean?”

“Hm? Just that she’s someone he can talk to comfortably, I think…”

Tch.

So it’s only at that level so far, huh?

Well, there’s still plenty of time, so no need to rush.

And judging from how they’re still chatting happily, there’s clearly some affection there.

Even though Lilia was there with them, seeing the kids chatting together was genuinely heartwarming.

Yeah, yeah.

Things are going well.

Hehehe.

“…Why are you suddenly smiling like that?”

Keira’s tone suggested she thought something was off, so I touched my face—and realized my lips had curled up without me noticing.

“I just thought of something that made me happy.”

“What was it?”

“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Hehehe.”

But I just couldn’t stop smiling, so I ended up having to cover my mouth.

“You lunatic.”

Victoria muttered with a shake of her head.

It stung a little, to be honest.

**

“M-My pleasure to meet you! I-I’m Lilia of the Rogzane family!”

Standing in front of Reyzen, Lilia bit her tongue mid-introduction.

That must’ve hurt.

Just as Serena expected, Lilia started trembling from the pain of biting her tongue.

Or maybe it was the fear of having made a mistake in front of him.

“You don’t need to be so formal. Today’s a celebration—might as well enjoy it, right?”

“Y-Yes! Of course!”

Reyzen gave a faint smile, seemingly pleased by Lilia’s stiff, frozen demeanor.

Of course, Serena, watching from the side, wasn’t about to let that slide.

“There you go talking like an old man again. I told you that doesn’t suit you.”

“Sh-Shut up. It’s a habit, I can’t help it.”

Reyzen snapped back sharply at her jab.

And as the two bantered naturally, Lilia blinked in confusion.

“Um… are you two close or something?”

“…Well, sort of?”

“I’m the one putting up with him.”

“What the—like you even have any other friends to hang out with.”

“Ugh! T-That’s not…”

He tried to deny it, but since it wasn’t entirely wrong, he ended up swallowing his words.

“…You didn’t have to say it like that.”

Letting her shoulders droop in discouragement, Serena felt a pang of guilt and quickly apologized.

Seeing this, Lilia—who had been watching them—seemed to catch on to just how close the two of them were.

Her previously flustered expression vanished, replaced by a glint of curiosity in her eyes.

She could sense that undeniable bond, the kind she had only read about in novels—connections forged from a young age.

“Anyway, Lilia, are you okay? You didn’t come with your mother—aren’t you feeling a bit lonely?”

“I’m alright. My mother said she needed some time with my father.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Well, it’s kind of… let’s just say it’s an idea that might be a little early for people our age.”

“Did you have to bring that up now?”

And just like that, the three of them were chatting and laughing together as if they’d been friends for ages, occasionally sampling the food that had been prepared and enjoying their time.

***

“Ugh… seriously, entertaining guests is exhausting.”

I stepped out of the mansion for a bit, feeling stifled just staying in the banquet hall.

The night sky was glittering with stars, and just looking at them seemed to wash away all my fatigue.

You didn’t come out here just for Serena’s birthday, did you?

That silly thought passed through my mind as I breathed in the cool night air.

Then.

“Unni? What are you doing here?”

Serena had somehow appeared by my side, speaking up casually.

The star of the party sneaking off like this?

Is that allowed?

“What’s up? Were the kids no fun to hang out with?”

“No, they just said they were tired and went to bed early.”

“Ah, well, that makes sense.”

They had come a long way as guests, so it was only natural they’d be tired.

Even Rayka and Victoria had started yawning.

If the adults were like that, the kids must have been even more worn out.

“It felt really short, though. I worked so hard to prepare everything…”

As I stared up at the sky, a breeze brushed past—subtle and melancholic.

I had spent nearly a month planning this day to make it the best memory for Serena.

And yet, the fun part seemed to pass by so quickly.

Still, if she says she had a good time, then maybe that’s enough.

“Yeah. I think so too,” Serena said, echoing my thoughts.

Even if her words suggested agreement, she was smiling.

“I had so much fun today. It’s a little sad that it’s already over. I wish every day could be like today.”

No… It seems like the birthday girl was more than satisfied—so much so that she wished this day could last forever.

I feel the same way.

But since that’s impossible, it’s all the more important to make days like this the happiest they can be.

“I’ll make your next birthday even more amazing. Just wait for it.”

“Isn’t that too far away?”

“Birthdays are all about the anticipation.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

Happiness awaits at the end of a long wait.

Serena, who probably didn’t understand yet, just chuckled at my words.

Still… please wait for me.

I’ll try even harder—for your happy ending.