“If the young lady had seen the young master today, she would have been truly overjoyed.”

Towards the child who had frozen in surprise with wide eyes, Mari spoke.

The scene of colorful papers fluttering down like butterflies was close to a spectacular sight.

As Mari scanned the food on the table with her eyes, she hurried to the kitchen, realizing she had almost forgotten the most important thing.

“Ah…”

As if the child wasn’t the only one appreciating the spectacular sight, they too were wide-eyed with slightly parted lips. Their eyes, embracing deep colors, sparkled like jewels.

How grateful to be able to share such a beautiful moment.

−…….

Although no one could see her except the child whose birthday it was.

Even if she passed by unnoticed like an invisible background,

Aeli was happy. How could she not be?

−Adi.

“……?”

Despite having no memories due to a 4-year gap after death, it was a whole 4 years.

The time it took for a nursing infant to move beyond baby food to regular meals, from rolling over to crawling, walking, and running.

−Are you… happy now?

She hadn’t been able to be there for any of those moments.

Realizing this anew, the child before her looked especially young today. Surely there was a time when they were much smaller.

“……Yes!”

At Aeli’s question, the child finally relaxed their stiff expression and gently curved their eyes.

With a face devoid of even a grain of falsehood, blushing as if truly happy…….

They smiled like that.

−…….

The empty space of growth that Aeli didn’t know.

Although she knew, there was no way she couldn’t regret missing a part of life that had already passed.

The lost time would never return, and the emptiness and loneliness the child must have felt during that period would never be erased.

Suddenly, she recalled when the child was born not long ago.

[Awuu…….] [Baby, did you have a good dream?] [Uwung……!] [Are you answering me? How smart you are!]

Holding the small, white bundle in her arms, she wished.

‘……I wanted to raise you without lacking anything.’

She hoped they would see only the bright side of life if possible.

Even if it couldn’t be forever, at least for as long as possible.

Some scolded that raising a child like that would spoil them…… but Aeli wanted to do it that way.

Thinking it would be nice if they could remain a child for a long time.

She just hoped they would spend their childhood happily, loved without any shadows.

“……? Ria, what are you doing?”

−Mmm…… Nothing.

As Aeli stared blankly at the child, they tilted their head and asked quietly.

Smiling slightly, Aeli lightly denied and answered.

−I’m just so happy too.

She had hoped they would grow up like that. But Aeli had lost more than enough time to bury all those opportunities and possibilities in the mud. That fact hurt.

They say time flows like water, so even if it was just a moment for someone else.

For this child, that moment spent in a tiny attic room without any interaction with others was their whole world.

It must have been.

−You know, Adi.

“Yes, why did you call me?”

−There’s something I really want to tell you.

How could she not be grateful for the chance to correct that now?

Even if her insides were torn and ripped out, Aeli was truly happy to be able to say these words.

That’s why she could smile.

−It’s what your mother asked me to tell you.

“……Mother?”

The child murmured blankly with wide eyes. It was closer to repeating Aeli’s words to check if they heard correctly rather than asking again.

−Yes, your mother.

Aeli spoke the words she had mumbled to herself several times since first reuniting with the child.

Words she had held back and endured, wanting to say them all at this moment.

−When you… came to me, it felt like I had gained the whole world. That hasn’t changed even now.

“…….”

−You are the most precious thing among everything I’ve ever had in my life.

Perhaps she would have gladly awakened as livestock rather than a ghost if it meant meeting this child.

She hadn’t known until they didn’t exist how lovable a life originating from oneself could be.

She felt overwhelmed by a single glance the child shared with her, and found unparalleled happiness in the faintest touch between them.

So how could this child’s life not be desperate to her?

−You know that, right?

“……Yes.”

−I’m so grateful that you’ve grown up so wonderfully…… and I’m truly proud that you’re my son.

“…….”

−Happy birthday, sincerely, my child. I love you so much.

You are my treasure.

There was never a single moment when that wasn’t true.

“Yeah…….”

To the child, Aeli was just someone relaying their mother’s words.

But in their constant nodding, it felt as if they truly knew she was their parent and were responding accordingly, if only for this moment.

‘I sincerely hope that all the paths you walk from now on will be filled with love and happiness.’

It was a fact that would never change, even if she died and came back to life.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Oh no, it’s so late…… At this rate, you’ll go to bed without even having dinner, let alone making a wish on the cake!”

Young master, aren’t you hungry? Mari exclaimed in shock as she pulled in the tray with the cake, belatedly checking the time.

Until then, the child had kept their glistening eyes fixed on the floor.

Whether it was because they heard her words or were moved by the surprise party, she couldn’t be sure, but well.

Mari seemed overjoyed even as she went to get the cake while laying out the food, so all’s well that ends well.

The child sat down, bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere, and carefully picked up their utensils. Perhaps because it was their birthday, there was quite a variety of dishes served.

‘Still, it’s a bit disappointing compared to what we ate at the main house.’

Hey, what more could you ask for here?

It wasn’t bad at all considering Mari had pestered the cook to obtain this by herself, so for now, they had to be satisfied with this.

If they felt wronged, the only option was to run away with the child before they were permanently confined to the annex.

−Adi, Adi.

“Mmm…….”

−How about… putting down our flower pot while eating? Isn’t it uncomfortable to keep holding it?

“…….”

−…….

Oh, right. I guess not.

Aeli nodded awkwardly and stepped back. Even if she said no, there was no way to break that stubbornness.

Mari, who had been quickly moving back and forth serving food, asked as she placed the cake on the table.

“Does it suit your taste?”

“Mm. What’s this? I’ve never had it before.”

“It’s pasta made with a recipe I got from my mother. The young lady loved it very much……. I thought you might like it too, young master, since your taste is similar to the young lady’s.”

“……Mother liked this too?”

The child paused as they were twirling the noodles with their fork and about to put them in their mouth.

Because of that, he made a wrong move and his mouth became smeared with sauce.

It was a warm scene that made one’s heart feel fluffier than ever before.

Mari took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the child’s mouth while answering.

“Yes. Even though you loved meat so much, on days when this pasta was served, you wouldn’t even look at the meat and would empty two plates of pasta.”

……It might have been better if this conversation hadn’t taken place, but.

Anyway, Aeli watched the child stuffing their cheeks full of pasta and chewing, and made a promise.

To show this child a wider world.

Not a cramped, old room that’s filled to capacity with just a bed, desk, and bookshelf.

She wanted to show them vast mountains and prairies that could be experienced with their whole body, not just the vague grass and trees visible through the window.

So that someday, they could live a life where they could spread their wings and freely soar through the sky.

The child had too many things they hadn’t experienced yet to live only in the small attic room of the annex like a bird in a cage.

‘……So I can’t leave them in Rattliff any longer.’

Even if there are currently no collateral branches in Rattliff, by the time Lutis’s breath stops, the child would already be a grown adult.

To spend years grasping at clouds aimlessly without knowing anything while living a life close to neglect until then?

That would be a problem even if the child succeeded to the position of head of the family.

‘They’ll certainly be disregarded as problematic for not having received a blessing or engaged in any external activities.’

By then, there wouldn’t be any acquaintances or vassals left to help, so they would have to endure all alone without any support.

What could be more frightening than power that cannot be protected?

Rather than that, it would be a wiser choice not to have it at all.

“If you’re done eating, shall we light the candles on the cake now?”

It was while Aeli was thinking this.

Mari, who had brought long, thin candles of various colors, asked while pointing at the cake.

“N-now?”

“Yes. The cake base is spread with the syrup you like, young master, and there are crackers that pop when you chew them! Look at the chocolate coating too. It’ll be really delicious, don’t you think?”

“Oh, it looks delicio… Ah, no! But now is too… too early…”

“Too early? It’s already later than usual even if you go to bed right after eating the cake.”

“But still…”

The child, thoroughly flustered, fidgeted restlessly before suddenly turning their head.

As their eyes met, Aeli quietly moved her body over the cake.

‘It looks fine?’

Aeli tilted her head as she examined the cake while floating, wondering if there was a problem. Even then, the child’s pitiful gaze attack hadn’t ended.

No matter how much they looked like that… a powerless ghost couldn’t help… but…

Mari’s expression grew increasingly perplexed at the child’s incomprehensible insistence that it absolutely couldn’t be done.

The child’s expression, constantly fiddling with the ribbon tied to the flower pot and looking glum, didn’t seem much different.

‘Judging by how they’re licking their lips, it doesn’t seem like they don’t want to eat it. Why are they acting like this?’

Aside from bedtime, she was worried that at this rate, midnight would pass and the birthday would be over.

Even though the weather had warmed up, it was still chilly after the sun went down, so that was a problem too.

“Ah… choo!”

Sure enough, as the cold air rose from the floor, the child sneezed and shuddered.

Mari sighed softly and straightened her knees that had been bent to match the child’s eye level as she spoke.

“I’ll go get a blanket. You’ll catch a cold at this rate, young master.”

“Mm…”

“…In exchange, will you promise to blow out the candles before midnight? We can’t make a wish after your birthday passes, you know.”

“……”

“Okay?”

The child, who had been avoiding Mari’s gaze, finally nodded at her question. It was when there were less than thirty minutes left until midnight.

Thinking that she could smoothly hand over the gift after just a little more time, Aeli’s face brightened as she moved towards the child’s side.

No, she was about to move.

Crash!

“……”

“……”

−Ah, um…..

If only at that moment.

If only the flower pot in the arms of the child, who was dozing off drowsily having long passed their usual bedtime, hadn’t tilted and fallen.