Free Web NovelOur young master...
L-Lord Arsian...!
Who is that man...? Is that really the one I know?
By contrast, the people of House Sepra, seeing Arsian behave gently for the first time, stood there with their mouths hanging open. Their eyes widened so much it looked like an earthquake had hit them.
“Arsian, eat this too. And this.”
“Okay.”
Complaints or not, Arsian took whatever food Camilla handed him and ate it all, wearing a face more relaxed than ever.
“Our daughter really threw him a birthday party. Isn’t the way she thinks just lovely?”
“Do you have anything to say these days besides bragging about your daughter?”
The Duke of Jayvillan clicked his tongue again and again. He found it irritating, but there was not much he could actually say against it.
The fireworks, the balloons—this whole idea of a surprise party was new to him, and it felt incredibly fresh.
This really did seem like it could become an excellent business item.
Ugh.
What was he supposed to do with this unpleasant feeling that once again he would probably end up seething over that little brat expanding into yet another new business?
“Still, the food is good.”
What made it even more irritating was that the food Camilla had made herself was so delicious it practically glued itself to his tongue. Feeling as though he had already lost before anything had even begun, the Duke of Jayvillan’s shoulders sagged.
“Right? Our Camilla’s good at cooking too.”
“I still won’t let even a drop of water touch her hands.”
The Duke of Sorpel’s mouth had already started curving upward again with paternal pride when he flinched at the low voice cutting in.
“Hey, what gives you the right to decide whether my daughter’s hands touch water or not?”
“The food tastes good.”
“Don’t change the subject, you bastard!”
The Duke of Sepra’s feigned indifference was so obnoxious he could barely stand it.
“Come to think of it, no one’s celebrated your birthday either. Not once.”
The Duke of Sorpel, who had been shaking the Duke of Sepra by the collar, stopped short at the Duke of Jayvillan’s words.
“That’s true. This one always hated having his birthday marked.”
At some point, they had simply stopped celebrating one friend’s birthday. Even so, the same man still sent gifts unfailingly on their birthdays, which made the whole thing ridiculous.
“Why don’t you start celebrating yours now too?”
“Yeah, we’ll throw you a magnificent party.”
“......”
The Duke of Sorpel and the Duke of Jayvillan both lit up with interest.
A birthday party for a friend, for the first time ever. What would they have to do to make this bastard happy?
“If there’s a present you want, say anything.”
“Even if it’s at the edge of the continent, we’ll go get it.”
“A present...”
Repeating their words under his breath, the Duke of Sepra looked steadily at the Duke of Sorpel.
“You don’t have to give me anything.”
“Hm? Why? There’s plenty I’d like to give you too.”
“I’ve already received enough.”
“What?”
“Your daughter is enough.”
“Hey, you damned bastard!”
“Both of you, shut up. That kid’s coming.”
The three dukes had just started jostling each other again when a child came running toward them with rapid little steps.
It was Rio.
“Mister!”
As always, Rio barreled straight into him, and the Duke of Sepra caught him with practiced ease and stroked his hair.
At the sight, his two friends’ expressions turned strange.
Every time they saw it, it was astonishing. The way Rio threw himself at that cold-blooded man without hesitation—and the way that same man held the child so gently.
“I forgot.”
“What did you forget?”
After enjoying that affectionate touch for a while, Rio stepped back and pulled something out.
It was the exact same thing he had given Arsian earlier.
“I’ll give one to you too, Mister!”
“......”
“It’s spring!”
A small branch with little blossoms hanging from it.
“...I see. It’s spring.”
A faint smile touched his mouth.
“So you’re the fairy of spring.”
Saying something entirely unlike himself, the Duke of Sepra stroked Rio’s hair with fresh gentleness.
“Hehe.”
Apparently delighted by being called the fairy of spring, the child burst into a bright smile and ran back to where Sena was.
“......”
After the child left his side, the Duke of Sepra quietly looked down at the flower in his hand.
“Hey, why are you tucking that into your chest? Are you insane?”
“He said it was spring.”
“It doesn’t suit you, so take it out right now! No, wait—he called that little brat the fairy of spring, so why is it only you getting flowers? Are we not people?”
“Why? Do you want to pin one to your chest too? I can lend you this instead.”
“Forget it, you bastard!”
Before long, the three dukes were knocking into each other again.
***** freewёbnoνel.com
“The wind’s still cold.”
“Should we go back inside?”
“It’s fine.”
Camilla and Arsian had stepped out onto the terrace for a brief break.
“Are you tired?”
Maybe because he was not used to being the guest of honor at something like this, he looked a little worn out after all.
“No.”
Arsian shook his head lightly.
“It just feels a little awkward.”
She knew very well that he did not like noisy places crowded with people.
“Even so, I wanted to do this for you.”
“Hm?”
“A birthday party.”
When she found out that he had never once celebrated something like a birthday, her chest had ached.
It felt as though he had spent his whole life fiercely denying the worth of his own existence.
And because she knew far too well why Arsian had been like that, it hurt all the more.
“Even if you hate it, endure it. I’m going to do this every year.”
“What?”
Camilla turned to look at Arsian, the corners of her eyes curving beautifully.
“I like it.”
“What are you—”
“I’m grateful for it.”
“......”
“I...”
Camilla stepped one pace closer to him, her smile deepening.
“I’m thankful and grateful for the day you were born.”
Arsian, no matter how much you hate and curse this day, there is nothing you can do about it anymore.
“It’s already become a special day to me.”
Camilla reached out and cupped his face. Smack—after planting a light kiss on him, her smile deepened further.
“So just stay glued to my side for the rest of your life.”
“......”
For a moment, Arsian could not say a word and only stared blankly at her.
Then, little by little, a smile bloomed at the corners of his mouth as well.
He lifted both hands and carefully cupped her cheeks, and his lips touched Camilla’s soft lips.
“As long as you want.”
Hearing his whispered answer, a smile spread across Camilla’s face again.
As the two of them kissed once more, flower petals drifted around them on the wind.
Warm, delicate petals that announced the coming of spring...
*****
“Honestly, why is the procedure so complicated?”
“New magical items have to be certified as safe. It can’t be helped. That’s why I said I could come alone and take care of it.”
Camilla muttered under her breath as she stepped out of the guard office.
The reason she had come here was to get proper approval for the things Ravi had developed at her request this time: fireworks and balloons.
They needed approval for things like this? What danger could balloons possibly pose?
After word spread about Arsian’s birthday party that day, a great many people had started inquiring about the party items used there.
I knew this had business potential.
The response had been bigger than expected, so she had pushed ahead with the venture immediately, but several laws had changed this time, and that had created a problem.
In order to begin using new magical items in earnest, one had to submit the permit issued by the magic tower to the guard.
So Camilla had brought the permit from the magic tower and come to the guard office herself.
She could have sent Dorman or someone else, but she had wanted to come in person. The beginning of a new business always needed to be checked and checked again with care.
“Now I just need to focus on promotion... hm?”
Camilla’s steps halted just as she was about to leave °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° the guard building.
Something had caught her eye.
A man was clutching a guard soldier and crying out in a desperate voice.
And beside that man was another presence.
A little girl, clutching tightly at the hem of his clothes.
The child’s eyes were filled with tears, as if she pitied the man who could not recognize her existence at all.
[.......]
“......”
For an instant, the child’s eyes met Camilla’s.
[Please help. Please... help my father. Please tell him where I am.]
“My child has been missing for over a month already!”
“We’re searching as hard as we can. Please wait just a little longer.”
“Just a little longer, just a little longer! How long exactly am I supposed to wait? If something has happened to my child by now... ngh.”
“Please calm down. This won’t solve anything. We’ll search all the places the child might have gone once again.”
“Please... please, my child...”
When a week had passed since the girl disappeared, all he had wanted was for her to come back safely.
When fifteen days had passed, he had thought it would be enough if she returned quickly, even if she were hurt, even if she had been crippled.
And now, after a month...
Now he only wanted to know whether she was alive or dead.
If she had died, then how?
If only they could at least find her body.
Only then could he lay his child to rest in his heart.
Tap tap.
“......?”
At that moment, a hand carefully tapped the man on the shoulder.
The man turned around with reddened eyes and flinched.
A woman he had never seen before was standing there.
She—Camilla—stepped one pace closer to him.
“You’re looking for a child. A little girl who looks about ten years old.”
“H-how do you know that...?!”
“I happen to tell fortunes.”
“What?”
Seeing the man standing there half out of his mind, Camilla clicked her tongue briefly inside.
Then her gaze flicked toward the dead child.
At the sight of the girl’s eyes, full of hope, a silent sigh slipped out of Camilla’s mouth.
“You’ve got nothing to lose.”
Finally, she smiled and asked,
“Would you like to have your fortune read?”
A Fortune-telling Princess — Special Side Story End
