The once empty, undecorated dance hall was now as opulent as the grand hall at the academy. It used to be a place of quiet, but now it hummed with countless conversations echoing from each side of every wall. 

I sat on the throne, my face composed and controlled as it always had. I sat with my back straight, keeping my posture professional, as the nearly countless guests before me frolicked about the venue.

On this special day… all I had in my mind was:

Man, this is boring.

Despite the location change… it was basically the same as last year’s.

But bigger.

The venue was, as mentioned before, our very own repurposed dance hall. Every corner of the hall was used and decorated to great effect. There was a bar for guests near the grand doors, countless seats and tables were prepared for the guests, and even the second-floor gallery was decorated and cleaned, with tapestries tied to the marble railings and pillars. 

The number of guests was also numerous, like last year’s.

But bigger.

The guests on the first floor filled the room—not quite like sardines in a can, but close enough. The gallery above was crowded too, and the courtyard outside had become its own miniature festival. If everyone had been squeezed into the first floor, we would’ve been paste.

The presents given were also similar, ranging from jewelry, with the majority of them being emeralds as expected, to entire room decorations.

But bigger.

And I meant that literally.

Seriously, someone brought an entire chandelier… a whole, frickin’ chandelier… ready to be installed, parked right outside the estate on their reinforced transport carriage. In fact, I heard from the knights that it was actually blocking the path for some.

I had to get Mother’s assistance to decline that thing, and currently, I spotted the man who brought that gift, standing in the corner, looking faintly ill.

Between each offering came the greetings. You know, the part where parents try to thrust their sons onto me in hopes I might cling onto them.

Lord this and that introduced his this and that son, Lady something-something nudging her somewhat-of-a-poet son forward. That kind of stuff.

There were also the occasional merchants seeking partnerships, offering their products, from accessories, books, and alcohol… which I still couldn’t drink.

I was actually kinda zoning out throughout that entire ordeal, but I did notice something different, and it all has to do with the guest list.

The guests for this year’s birthday were, in the majority, the same kind as last year’s. Nobles close to our family, merchants seeking deals, et cetera. But a significant portion of the sea of faces was… familiar.

They were the faces of fellow students of the Royal Knights Academy, faces I had seen and glanced at during the entrance exam and the celebration ball.

Although there were still plenty of son-pitching, ranging from a prodigy with a bow. A well-known horse rider. A young melancholic poet…

There were a lot more “Let’s be friends!” or “I hope we can work together in the academy!” kind of deals going on.

I get it. Networking is a major part of survival, and I applaud them for bothering to attend my birthday party just to do that. And to be honest, this was kind of a breath of fresh air. 

The only time I ever shifted in my seat to pay attention, though, was when a truly familiar face came up.

“Ohoho! What a gloriously festive day, is it not, Lady Carine?” Mirabelle declared, stepping forward with a graceful curtsy. A red fan fluttered near her lips, though it did little to hide her beaming smile.

“Ah, Mirabelle,” I said with an invisible smile. “It’s great to see you.”

“Your acknowledgment is gift enough! But of course, I had to come. I did promise, after all!” she said, her eyes sparkling. She then produced a long, slender box from her handbag. “For you, my lady. I do hope it suits your impeccable taste.”

I accepted the box, finding it pleasantly light. With careful hands, I slid the top open to reveal a folded fan resting within. Leila smoothly took the empty box from me as I lifted the gift.

I opened it with a flick of my wrist. It was beautifully made. The spines were of polished, pale wood, and the spread was a deep, elegant blue silk, smooth and cool to the touch. It was both simple and exquisite.

Hey… I could actually see myself using this.

“How do you find it, Lady Carine?” Mirabelle asked, unable to contain her proud grin. “It’s a matching pair, commissioned from my family’s favorite artisan. Light as a feather, durable, and utterly dazzling, don’t you think?”

I closed the fan with a soft snap and gave her a small, sincere smile as Leila took it to be set aside with the other presents. “It’s perfect, Mirabelle. Truly, thank you.”

“I knew you’d appreciate it! Ohoho!” Her haughty laugh was full of genuine delight as she curtsied again and made way for the next guest.

I’d have to say, besides the books, this was probably the first good gift I had had in a while.

“Lady Carine!” boomed the next man in line, his chest puffed out. “Allow my house to present this magnificent pair of emerald earrings—”

Aaaand my mood is ruined.

…

Eventually, another familiar face came into view. 

“Ah, Villius.”

He stood tall, offering a bow that was perfectly measured, his hand placed formally over his heart. “Congratulations on your birthday, Lady Carine. May the coming year bring you continued health and success.”

“Thank you, Villius.”

He presented a leather case whose design was instantly recognizable—the clean lines, the subtle tooling, and his family name stamped discreetly on the lid.

Is this another—?

I opened the clasps. Inside, nestled against plush velvet, lay a violin of pure, polished white wood.

It is!!! Again!!

No wait, this actually looks kinda nice.

“It’s the latest model from our Eligante line,” he explained, his voice softening from its formal cadence into something of an ad break. “The white northern hardwood is incredibly dense and firm. It gives the tone escaping its confines a unique smoothness unmatched by any other. I… sincerely hope you like it.”

I closed the case with care and passed it to Leila. “It’s exquisite, Villius. I look forward to hearing how it sounds.”

The tips of his ears flushed tomato red. He bowed again, deeper this time. “The honor would be mine to one day hear you play it, my lady.”

Sorry to say, but you’d have a better chance hearing it from Feyt.

As he stepped aside, I realized the long procession of gift-bearers was finally thinning. Yet, I hadn’t seen Eveliana, Kyro, or Clarissa all evening.

“Villius, before you go.”

He turned around rather quickly. “Y-Yes?”

“Have you heard from Eveliana and the others?”

He blinked, almost surprised. “A-Ah. They are not in the capital at present. The semester hasn’t begun, so they likely seized the chance to return to their own estates.” He offered a small, apologetic smile. 

“I see…”

Perhaps it was too much to expect all of them to make the journey all the way to the capital for this.

As the last few guests gave their presents, the room began to grow quieter and quieter. The source of this ever-encroaching silence was none other than the trio waiting in line. Their presence alone was shaking the guests before them.

As more and more people realized who it was standing before me, their voices grew louder to the point even I could hear from back here.

“No way… isn’t that?”

“He’s here again?”

“Lady Carine seems to be more interesting than I thought…”

As the final guest before them left in a hurry, the first of the trio stepped up. His blonde hair fluttered as he offered a deep bow. When his head lifted, a bright smile was etched onto it.

“Greetings, Carine Sareid,” he said, his voice warm and carrying easily across the still room. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Key of Setus, the Crown Prince, heir to the throne, and,” he added with a glance at the silver-haired woman behind him, “a devoted fiancé to my beloved Munith.” His bright, confident gaze locked onto mine. “The pleasure is finally mine. My younger brother here seems to think quite highly of you!”

Did he bring them here??

I briefly flicked my eyes to the Third Prince, Julient, who stood slightly behind. He was looking pointedly at a tapestry on the far wall, his expression the very picture of polite, barely hidden annoyance.

My fingers trembled against the armrest before I forced them still. Every etiquette lesson ever hammered into me surged to the front of my mind at once. 

I began to rise from my throne to offer the formal kneel owed to the literal future king.

“Now, now, there’s no need for any of that!” Prince Key interrupted smoothly, raising a hand. “This is your joyous day. Let’s keep things celebratory, shall we?”

How could I?? The literal future king is in front of me, and here I am sitting on a throne!

But orders were orders. I reluctantly sat back down, which earned the distant, cold glare from Mother.

Whaddya want me to do??

He clapped his hand twice, and an attendant swiftly came to his side, bringing along a velvet pillow. Upon it rested yet another emerald necklace. It was, undoubtedly, the most expensive emerald thingy presented before me so far. 

I couldn’t afford to treat this like the other gifts. I had no choice but to receive it with a warm, polite, heavily practiced smile.

“Your performance at the exam was the talk of the capital lately. I simply had to see the young woman who earned such a reputation for myself.” His smile never wavered as he continued. “I expect great things, Lady Carine.”

“Your Highness honors me and my house deeply,” I replied, the perfect picture of humble gratitude as Leila accepted the staggering weight of the necklace. “Thank you for such a generous gift.”

Seemingly satisfied, Key gave a gracious nod and moved aside.

The second of the trio glided forward. Her silver hair flowed like moonlight as she held a gentle smile. 

“Happy birthday, Lady Carine!” she said, her voice clear and melodious, carrying a natural, cheerful lilt. “And congratulations on your exam results!”

“Thank you for your kind words, Your Highness.”

From within the folds of her gown, she produced not a jewel case as I expected, but a book bound in soft brown leather. She handed it to me directly with both hands thrust forward.

“I have a feeling you like books, so I decided to bring this! It’s a novel titled Quiet Love,” she said, a faint blush touching her cheeks. “I wrote it myself. If possible, let me know your thoughts the next time we meet, ‘kay?”

She wrote this herself?

I received it gently and gave a thoughtful nod. “This is a truly thoughtful gift, Your Highness. Thank you. I look forward to reading it.”

Her smile widened brightly. “I’m glad! I hope it brings you a… familiar kind of joy.”

Her violet eyes held mine for a moment longer than necessary. It was as if she were trying to see past me. Then, she offered another small, turned, and slipped her hand into Prince Key’s waiting arm. The two lovebirds moved away from the dais, leaving only one figure remaining.

The Third Prince, Julient, finally approached. He let out a long, soft sigh.

“My apologies for those two,” he said, his voice dropping into a more casual, familiar tone. “They were rather insistent on tagging along the moment they heard I was attending,” he added, a wry smirk touching his lips. “Guess that just goes to show. Your influence in this kingdom is slowly becoming known to the world, Carine Sareid.”

I would rather it didn’t.

He paused before me, and his leaf-green eyes lost their distant annoyance, focusing with sharp intent. “Now then. Down to business. I believe I promised you something ‘magnificent’.”

My breath froze. Could it be that he finally…

“I am pleased to announce that I have finally fulfilled my part of our deal.”

I felt myself leaning forward imperceptibly in anticipation.

“By royal decree, granted at my request and approved as of this morning,” he announced, his words meant for my ears alone. “Carine Sareid of house Sareid has been granted temporary access to the Royal Archives.”

And finally, the perfect birthday gift has arrived.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep