“It’s pretty.”
“Right? I thought it would suit you well, my Lady. I will put them on for you.”
Licia held my foot and put the shoes on me.
Once I put on the shoes, the birthday party’s main character was complete.
“Shall we go to the banquet hall now?”
“Yes.”
I held Licia’s hand and headed to the banquet hall.
***
In the banquet hall, the vassals’ children had already arrived.
Erika had also arrived at the banquet hall.
She wore a pink dress and had a rose flower hair ornament.
It was the dress and accessories that Viscount Giller had bought for her to wear to the party not long ago.
“Lady Erika.”
Someone greeted Erika.
“Lady Vieta. It has been a while.”
“Yes, it has been a while. Have you been well?”
“I have always been doing well.”
“I heard you have been training hard.”
“I have to work hard.”
“I am jealous. I wish I had contracted a high-ranking spirit like you, Lady Erika.”
“Oh, come on, Lady Vieta, you can do it too. Stay strong.”
While they were exchanging greetings, other children also came over to greet her.
Before long, Erika was standing at the center of the children.
She looked at the children who had gathered around her with satisfaction.
At this moment, she felt like she had become the best.
“Lady Erika!”
The children approaching her weren’t only young ladies.
The young masters also showed interest in her.
“You are especially beautiful today.”
“You are flattering me too much, I am embarrassed.”
As she smiled shyly and her cheeks turned peach-colored, the young masters couldn’t take their eyes off her.
“Your dress is really beautiful. It is a dress from Madame Dubuis, right? Even I could not get that dress, I am jealous.”
“I was just lucky.”
Seizing the moment, Erika brought it up.
“By the way, what kind of person is today’s main character, the Young Lady?”
“I am very curious too.”
“I heard from my father that she stayed in the annex for seven years.”
“If it is the annex of the Grand Duke’s estate, is it not a remote place? I heard that is where people abandoned by the Grand Duke go…”
“Oh my, do you not know? The Young Lady was born at the cost of the Grand Duchess’ life.”
“Ah, I have heard that too.”
That was a story only the vassals of the Ducal House knew.
“Then, she came out after staying in the annex for seven years?”
“That is what they say. Rumor has it that Her Highness the Imperial Princess personally treated her.”
“Oh my, how pitiful.”
“It seems she must have gone through many hardships in the annex.”
The young ladies and young masters sympathized with the Young Lady.
Erika quite liked this atmosphere.
“Young Lady Ivelotte and Young Master Valdes are entering.”
That satisfaction lasted only for a moment.
As if by a lie, Erika’s expression hardened.
***
Before entering the banquet hall, I encountered an unexpected person.
“Valdes?”
Valdes was standing at the entrance of the banquet hall wearing a tailcoat.
“I told you to call me Brother.”
“What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? I came to escort you.”
“You?”
“You’re a young lady, does it make sense for you to go in alone without a partner?”
“So you’re going to be my partner?”
“…Yeah, I’m doing you a favor.”
Above his head, as he said that, the word [Embarrassment] was floating.
“I usually hate things like parties, but I’m making an exception just this once.”
Valdes grumbled and suddenly grabbed my hand.
“Let’s go in.”
Pulled along by Valdes’s hand, I stepped into the banquet hall.
“Have a nice time, my Lady.”
Licia waved her hand from behind.
Together with Valdes, I entered the Garnet Hall.
Holding his hand, I went down the stairs and met the gazes of many children.
They all had surprised expressions.
It seemed they were surprised by the sight of Valdes and me walking in while holding hands affectionately.
I looked at the words [Flustered], [Surprise], and so on floating above their heads.
Among them, there were also those with negative emotions.
One girl in a pink dress was like that.
“Young Master, greetings.”
The girl approached together with children her age, smiling gently.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Erika Giller. Viscount Giller is my father.”
“Ah, I see.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
Starting with Erika, the children introduced themselves.
As if he already had a headache, Valdes whispered to me.
“Hey, I’m leaving.”
It seemed he really had come only to escort me.
He looked at the crowd of children rushing in with a disgusted expression, then quickly left his spot.
Before I knew it, dealing with the children became my responsibility.
“Wow, my Lady. The dress you are wearing is from Madame Claire, right?”
“Yes.”
“I heard Madame Claire only makes clothes for the Imperial Family and Ducal Houses, the design is really amazing.”
“Thank you.”
I turned my gaze to Erika, who was staring at me persistently.
“Do you have something you would like to say to me, Lady Erika?”
“I wanted to tell you that your dress is really beautiful.”
“Yours is beautiful too, Lady Erika.”
“Thank you.”
After a while.
“There will now be the birthday cake cutting ceremony.”
The maids came in carrying the cake.
It was a three-tier whipped cream cake.
At the top of it, the number 7 made of sapphire was placed.
Not only that, sapphire decorations were attached all over the cake.
“Wow, it is my first time seeing a jewel cake.”
“It is really pretty.”
I was also startled.
I never imagined I would receive such a wonderful birthday cake.
All the children were envious of it.
In my previous life, it was something I could never even dream of in a hospital room.
Not to mention a birthday cake, there wasn’t even anyone who came to celebrate me.
At that moment, Sebastian approached and lit the candles. Then the birthday song began to play.
As if it had been prepared beforehand, an orchestra was playing on one side.
“My Lady, now please make a wish and blow out the candles.”
I clasped my hands together, made a wish, and blew out the candles.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
The children applauded.
“Happy birthday, my Lady.”
The children all congratulated me on my birthday in unison.
“Now then, shall we cut the cake?”
Sebastian placed the cake-cutting knife in my hand.
While everyone watched, I cut the cake.
Sebastian sliced the cake and distributed it to the children.
Then the gift-giving ceremony followed.
It was the first time in my life I had received so many birthday presents.
Gifts piled up in a corner of the banquet hall.
“My Lady, happy birthday.”
Lastly, Erika handed me a present.
“Thank you.”
As I received the gift, I saw the word [Jealousy] floating above her head.
To be harboring jealousy with such a gentle face.
A person’s inner thoughts were truly impossible to understand.
“My Lady, I have been looking forward to the day I could meet you for a long time.”
“Is that so?”
“I heard from my father that you are someone who has contracted an ancient spirit. If it is not rude, could you give me a chance to meet your spirit?”
“My spirit?”
“I want to see it too.”
“Me too.”
Following Erika, the children all began pleading one after another to be shown the spirit.
“I am sorry, but I do not think that will be possible.”
“Why not?”
“Spirits are not something to be put on display. I cannot turn my spirit into a clown just to satisfy your curiosity.”
“A clown? That is too harsh. We only said it with pure intentions…”
“If my words were too harsh, I apologize. Still, this is a place to celebrate my birthday, so please enjoy the party.”
As I moved with proper etiquette, just as Countess Warren had taught me, the children admired me.
“The Young Lady really is different. She doesn’t seem like someone who just came out of the annex.”
“Exactly. Her walk, her way of speaking, and even her gestures are all so elegant.”
Since it was the result of painstaking effort, I felt very satisfied.
Erika lowered her stance and spoke to me in a friendly manner.
“My Lady, I am sorry if I upset you.”
“It is alright.”
“But may I ask you one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you very close with Young Master Valdes?”
We did spar often, but I wasn’t sure if it counted as being close.
“Why do you ask?”
“I saw that he personally escorted you, so I thought you had a special bond. But it seems that is not the case.”
Shhh be quiet extra