The grandfather clock just happened to chime, signaling that it was time for the full-scale birthday banquet to begin.
“Yes, Your Highness. Happy birthday.”
I said goodbye to Alben and Julia and went to the center of the banquet hall with Michael.
“Her Highness the 7th Princess, congratulations on your 18th birthday.”
“Thank you for coming such a long way, Countess Modred.”
“Happy birthday, Your Highness the 7th Princess.”
“You came, Lord Calix Limitiello.”
I happily handed Calix a mousse cake. But when I saw it up close, his eyes were slightly dim.
“Oh, no, Your Highness. My grades are very good, so please don’t misunderstand.”
“Oh, really?”
I swallowed a laugh as I watched Calix react seriously to the joke.
Calix confessed the truth before I could even ask why.
“Actually... I’ve been feeling some pressure to get married ever since the day I entered the palace.”
"Ah."
At those words, my teasing intentions disappeared and I was filled with pity. It was because we shared the same pain.
“That’s true... It feels like it’s not someone else’s business.”
Maybe it was because of my mood. The part that I emphasized sounded meaningful.
“I may have to make a decision soon.”
Callix looked troubled. His situation was changing rapidly, as he and his eldest son, Felios, were now in serious contention for the succession to the throne.
“Well, I guess I'd better get back to defending my ball of the day. Take care, Alben. I'll see you later, Julia.”
I said goodbye to Alben and Julia and went to the center of the banquet hall with Michael.
There, along with the lavishly decorated couch, wine glasses filled with mousse cake were stacked in a huge pyramid.
It was imperial protocol that the birthday celebrant would serve the cakes one by one to the nobles who lined up to greet them.
“Thank you for coming such a long way, Countess Modred.”
I had repeated the process of congratulations, returning the favor, and handing over the cake dozens of times. Then, a familiar face appeared, a welcome change of pace.
“You came, Lord Calix Limitiello.”
I happily handed Calix a mousse cake. But when I saw it up close, his eyes were slightly dim.
“You don't look too happy, I'm afraid your test results didn't go well, I'm sorry to hear that.”
“Oh, really?”
I swallowed a laugh as I watched Calix react seriously to the joke.
Calix confessed the truth before I could even ask why.
“Actually... I’ve been feeling some pressure to get married ever since the day I entered the palace.”
"Ah."
At those words, my teasing intentions disappeared and I was filled with pity. It was because we shared the same pain.
“That’s true... It feels like it’s not someone else’s business.”
“Yes. It's really no one else's business, Your Highness”
“I may have to make a decision soon.”
Callix looked troubled. His situation was changing rapidly, as he and his eldest son, Felios, were now in serious contention for the succession to the throne.
It was not a good place to have a deep conversation about personal matters. That was the end of my conversation with Calix.
After that, a not-so-welcome face appeared.
“Eve.”
“Sister Nia.”
It was Derek's half-sister, Stefania. She had refused to face me for so long, but now she stood before me on her own feet. The sullen expression on her face was grim.
Soon Stefania spoke, her voice low enough for only the two of us to hear. It was not the congratulatory greeting that was due to the heroine of the day.
"Taught?"
At this somewhat out-of-context statement, I couldn't help but ask.
“You taught me that when you expose something, you don’t need any support or connections.”
It must not be a very good memory, so why does she have to say it out loud?
I studied Stefania, sizing her up, and suddenly saw something I hadn't seen before: a pupil in the center of a pair of puffy eyes.
“You know very well.”
I approached and whispered to her, offering her a mousse cake.
“You will regret it.”
“Even if I have to, I will do it.”
That was the end of the bleak conversation. Stefania's back turned away.
Michael, who was standing behind the couch, whispered so that only I could hear.
“It seems like the 6th Princess has prepared a great birthday present for you.”
“...That was stupid.”
I lowered my eyes bitterly.
The encounter with Stefania was only a preliminary skirmish. The true villain soon revealed herself.
Those who approached, ignoring the long line, were Brigitte and her younger fiancé, Antonio.
“Evienose.”
“Yes. Welcome, Sister Betty. And Lord Belteor.”
Our eyes met. After a quiet stare, I spoke first.
“I didn’t know you would show your face, it’s surprising.”
“Of course, it’s your birthday. It’s nice to see you having the best time of your life.”
Brigitte emphasized the word “best time". I laughed good-naturedly at her warning that there would be no more victories.
Brigitte seemed to understand the implication of dragging her even lower. Her expression turned grim.
“Yes. It’s a nice day.”
The sisters smiled affectionately at each other, despite the murderous atmosphere we shared.
“You’ve gathered a bunch of southern nobles. Is this an all-out war?”
“I’m thinking of taking it easy today.”
“You are inciting Sister Nia? Where on earth is your conscience?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Brigitte was trembling and kept saying she didn't know. It was a waste of time to talk any further. I gave her a cake and sent Brigitte away.
“Take a look.”
"Yes."
Brigitte turned and walked away, raising her chin arrogantly.
Antonio followed Brigitte, acting as if he was sorry.
As I was serving the nobles for a while, something suddenly occurred to her mind.
'By the way, what about Rosie?'
Where is the person who arranged for my birthday party to be held?
I scanned the banquet hall. After a short search, I found a lovely blonde.
'Ah!'
The timing was good. Rosenite had just broken away from Brigitte's group of munchkins and gone out into the hall alone. And before her, the line of nobles was briefly broken.
“Michael, hold on for a moment.”
"Eve?"
Eve quickly followed Rosenite in the direction she had disappeared, and thanks to a spell involving stealth, I was able to make it out of the ballroom without attracting the attention of the nobles.
The camellia garden was beautiful on a deep winter night. The blossoms glowed red in the darkness, and magical lanterns, like pea kernels, sparkled here and there.
I stopped walking when I lost sight of my pursuer. It was cold, and there were no human shadows anywhere in the air. Only Amber circled around us.
I turned around, drawn by the voice. There stood the half-sister I had been looking for, looking beautiful and lovely.
“Sister.”
“Rosie.”
It was truly a long-awaited meeting. I took a deep breath.
“You’re the main character, so why are you in a place like this?”
I didn't answer the curious question. I just looked at the half of Rosenite's face, where a halo of light was shining.
Perhaps it was because of the dark shadows. It felt deeper than before. Looking at that figure, it was hard to tell if it was an enemy or an ally.
As expected, the regressor causes confusion in those around her. Just like the people around me who first saw me right after my regression.
As the silence continued, it was Rosenite's turn to speak again.
“Sister, happy birthday.”
“Thank you.”
It was not me who followed Rosenite to share this kind of loose conversation, and it was the same with Rosenite who led me.
Rosenite smiled like a flower again.
“I’m glad I can finally talk to you, sister."
“I think it was you who avoided me.”
“There are various reasons for that.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I was mentally prepared... and more than anything, I was preparing a birthday present for my sister.”
I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be an ordinary gift.
“I’ll give it to you a little later. But...
Rosenite, who had been speaking meaningfully, met my gaze with an impudent gaze.
“Let me apologize in advance.”
"What?"
“My sister is the main character at today’s banquet, so I think I’ll be able to share some of the attention.”
My mind flashed back to the last time I'd used Rosenite's 16th birthday banquet as a springboard to re-enter the social scene. I wondered if it was some kind of revenge for stealing her share of the attention.
“Oh, no. I've kept the main character out of the ballroom too long, shall we go back now?”
'OMG?'
I stiffened at the unexpected behavior. Born into royalty, I had rarely had the opportunity to experience such a murderous act. The target, of course, is the ever-vigilant Rosenite.
“Why? We’re sisters.”
The response that came back was shameless.
By this point, I had given up trying to guess what Rosenite was thinking based on the bits and pieces of information I had. I decided to elicit a definitive response once and for all.
“Rosenite Nadia Hadelamide.”
“Yes, sister.”
I opened my mouth coldly on purpose.
“Don’t be ambiguous.”
I pulled my arm out of Rosenite's arms. For a moment, Rosenite's eyes shook as if she was hurt.
'What, what is it?'
I was slightly taken aback by the unexpected reaction. Rosenite's face tightened. She slapped the arm she had crossed and said, “I'm sorry."
“I’m not sure how to be sure, but... Anyway, I understand. I guess I was just clumsy.”
It was the first time that Rosenite had been playing softly.
'I can't do this, it's so frustrating.'
It seemed like the last thing I needed was to drag Rosenite to Pearl's room for a heart-to-heart sisterly talk. Unfortunately, a problem arose and I was forced to abandon my plan.
“His Majesty the Emperor enter!”
It just so happened that now was the time for Desmond II's surprise visit.
I was startled and prepared to go back.
“I’ll go first, you go later..."
“No. We should go together.”
"Uh?"
“That way, Father will see it better.”
As I hesitated, Rosenite grabbed her gently.
“Are your fingertips okay, not your arms?”
“Uh, yeah.”
I answered absentmindedly.
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