IITYVA 10

Chapter 10

I let out a small smile.

“…Thanks for worrying about me.”

Sella gently rubbed her forehead against my leg, as if to comfort me.

Silavi slowly fluttered her wings while perched on my left cheek, and Quiel hugged my right cheek tightly.

A small mushroom-shaped gnome jumped onto my shoulder and rubbed its head—shaped like a hat—against my neck.

Though the spirits didn’t have warmth, their intentions to comfort me were unmistakably clear.

My heart began to slowly warm.

“Thanks to you all, I feel a little better now. Thank you.”

I spoke sincerely.

The spirits, delighted by my words, bounced around joyfully.

Holding Sella, who was swishing her tail at my feet, I murmured quietly.

“I guess As needs more time.”

The next morning came without anything resolved.

As always on this date, I woke up early.

The birds singing from afar sounded especially clear and bright.

I blinked dazedly and sat up in bed.

Then I walked over to the window and opened it.

The sweet scent of blooming acacia flowers drifted in on the breeze.

“The flowers bloomed…”

I mumbled absentmindedly, then, out of habit, took a deep breath.

The distinct sweetness of acacia filled my lungs.

“Happy birthday.”

I whispered softly and smiled brightly at the sky before heading to the kitchen.

Even if my greeting couldn’t reach the person it was meant for—still.

I wanted to celebrate.

Just like I always did on this day, I went down to the kitchen and started baking a cake.

The rich scent of baking bread filled the air.

While the sponge cake was in the oven, I started making stew.

A small, quiet celebration for someone who wouldn’t even know about it.

But I wanted to do it anyway.

The sponge cake baked perfectly.

The sound of birds chirping through the open kitchen window lifted my mood.

Humming a soft tune, I decorated the properly cooled sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries.

That was when it happened.

As came down from the second floor to help prepare breakfast but paused when he saw the cake.

“…A cake? Why is there a cake?”

I was so happy that he spoke to me first, I didn’t even register anything else.

I looked up with a big smile, completely missing the subtle emotion hidden in his voice.

Wiping the cream off my cheek, I answered casually,

“Yeah, it’s someone’s birthday today.”

“…Whose birthday?”

At that question, I hesitated for a moment.

My eyes lowered slightly.

“…Someone I feel sorry toward.”

As was quiet for a while, then muttered softly,

“…Does that person know? That you’re doing all this to celebrate their birthday?”

I slowly shook my head.

For some reason, a bitter feeling welled up inside me.

“No, they don’t.”

“…”

“That person probably doesn’t want to see me… so it’s better they don’t know.”

“…You think it’s better they don’t know.”

As muttered under his breath, almost to himself.

His voice had a strange, unsettled tone.

The moment I realized it, the strange tension in the air became sharply clear.

Flustered, I set down the piping bag in my hand.

“As…? What’s wrong?”

As bit his lip hard, his expression twisted as if he’d just been hit by something.

“…It’s foolish.”

“Huh? What?”

“It’s foolish. Why celebrate the birthday of someone who probably doesn’t even want to see you? That person… that person doesn’t even know you’re doing this…”

A tear rolled down As’s cheek.

I had been blankly listening to his words in a daze, so the sudden sight of his tears shocked me.

“As, wait a second—”

“…I’m sorry. I was rude again. Please forget what I just said.”

Before I could stop him, As turned and ran back upstairs.

I stood there, blankly staring at his retreating figure as it grew smaller, then bit my lip.

“Foolish, huh…”

Yeah, it was foolish.

It was a stupid thing to do.

Who celebrates the birthday of someone who doesn’t even want to see them?

‘I know it all, and I still do it.’

Because I wanted to.

It wasn’t to curse them—it was to celebrate them. That much should be within my right.

I started to feel strangely down.

To shake it off, I puffed up my cheeks and slapped them with both hands.

“Alright, time for breakfast! Let’s finish what we started!”

I shouted cheerfully on purpose.

Then I picked up the piping bag and went back to decorating the cake with whipped cream.

The stew and cake were both finished, but I didn’t really have an appetite.

Staring at the cake for a while, I eventually stood up, placed a bowl of stew and a slice of cake on a tray, and headed upstairs.

Standing in front of As’s room, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“As, I brought breakfast.”

“…”

“You should eat something, okay?”

“…”

No response came from the room.

I placed the tray on a small table next to the door in the hallway where a flower vase sat.

“I’ll leave the food here. If you get hungry, come out and eat. Alright?”

After saying that, I summoned Silavi and Sella.

“Silavi, Sella. Could you keep watch so the food doesn’t get cold or dusty?”

The small, silver butterfly-like Silavi fluttered her wings a couple times in understanding.

The little red cat-like Sella also rubbed her forehead against my leg.

I patted both of them in thanks and went back downstairs.

There’s nothing like housework to clear your mind!

Silence returned to the hallway.

Akes, who had been standing blankly with his back against the door, slowly slid down to sit on the floor.

“Because it’s someone’s birthday.”

“That person probably doesn’t want to see me… so it’s better they don’t know.”

Joy, resentment, sorrow, desire—

All those emotions mixed together, making it hard to breathe.

“…Why.”

He parted his lips.

But the confused words that tried to escape faded away before they could fully form.

To remember someone’s birthday, bake them a cake, and celebrate it just for them—

Why?

He kept repeating that question.

Was it just because she was a kind person?

Then… you are far too cruel.

“…I like you. So, so much.”

When I confessed—

“…S-sorry!”

All she left me with was that apology, like a wound.

Then she disappeared.

That’s why I avoided her.

Even though I knew she wanted to mend our relationship, I kept running.

Because otherwise, I was afraid that, overwhelmed by emotion, I’d lose control and do something to her.

I’d trap her in my world.

I’d cut her off from everyone else.

And I’d force her to look only at me.

…Because I didn’t want to force her.

“Don’t smile at me.”

“You’re foolish.”

“Why celebrate the birthday of someone who doesn’t even want to see you?”

And yet, I’d already tried to control Einra multiple times.

So rudely.

If I stayed here any longer, I’d try to control her even more.

Because when it came to Einra, I couldn’t control myself.

“…I should go back.”

He muttered quietly.

The chance that had come with the threat to his life was over now.

Ruined by his own ugly desire.

After a moment of silence, Akes stood up from where he was leaning against the door.

It was time to say his final goodbye to Einra.

I was almost done making the soup stock.

It had started as a distraction from my thoughts, but it felt good to spend my time productively.

I had just turned off the stove and picked up the pot to strain the stock when—

“Einra.”

A completely unexpected voice called out, making my eyes widen.

“As?”

Had he finished sorting through his feelings?

The thought made me strangely happy.

I turned around instinctively, completely forgetting I was holding a hot pot.

“Ahh—!”

My body tilted dangerously.

The hot stock inside the pot sloshed and was about to spill all over me—

If As hadn’t rushed over in the blink of an eye and pushed me out of the way.

“Einra—!”

SPLASH—

The stock spilled.

Startled by the clatter of the pot hitting the floor, I squeezed my eyes shut, then quickly opened them again.

The first thing I saw was As, his back soaked and dripping, urgently checking on me.

“Einra, are you hurt anywh—”

“As!”

Panicked, I grabbed onto him.

“You—you—are you okay…! No…”

My mind went completely blank, and I couldn’t even form proper words.

While I stood there, frozen stiff and gaping like a fish, As spoke in a calm, steady voice.

“I’m fine. What about you, Einra? Are you hurt anywhere?”