Gibnen sighed, making a sound, leaned back in his chair, and stretched out.

“My head hurts. Well, maybe I went too far.”

“Still, it seems to be a plausible hypothesis.”

“Anyway, keep an eye on it. If there’s anything suspicious, report it right away.”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

As Sak left, Gibnen turned his chair around and looked up at the ceiling.

Riley’s face floated above the ceiling.

What is she doing now? Is she diligently attending lectures at the academy? I wonder what she looks like when she’s in class. I’m curious about her concentrating on something. What expression is she making?

“I miss her.”

I miss the times when she was chirping and making noise around me.

Especially when I’m stuck in a pile of documents and pressed down by the weight of work like this.
She pretended not to like it when she was nursed all day, but she didn’t really dislike it. Her being attached like a tick was quite cute. Back then, instead of getting annoyed, he should have treated her better and enjoyed more.

Gibnen murmured with regret, savoring his dissatisfaction.

“Should I take another sip of poison?”

Riz adapted well to the work at the mansion. Of course, she still kept an eye out, but she worked diligently and actively.

Gibnen seemed busier as his birthday approached.

Although he had wanted to see her, it had been quite a while. However, since the birthday party was not far away, and he could see her all day on that day, he wasn’t particularly bothered.

Then he heard the news that Half had been discharged. He wanted to meet him, but he remained as reclusive as before.

He wasn’t someone you could meet just because you wanted to. Well, he thought that he might suddenly appear unexpectedly someday, so he didn’t pay much attention to Half.

Thus, the peaceful daily life continued until the birthday party.

“But, what about your birthday present?”

Hila’s casually thrown question shattered the calmness.

“W-Well, a present…!”

Riz was so busy with her work, focused on studying at the academy, and receiving private lessons from Arpeggio right after classes that she had forgotten the most important thing.

“What? How could you forget that!”

“I was too busy…”

She felt uneasy about something.

She couldn’t figure out why it felt uneasy.

“It’s tomorrow already! Come on, quickly prepare a gift.”

What should I give as a gift? Riley pondered.

She knew he would appreciate anything, but for his first birthday celebration, she wanted to give a more meaningful gift.

Having received so much gratitude and always being filled with grateful things, she felt like she hadn’t given him anything in return.

Although she frequently mentioned gifts, she always thought about preparing a gift for him but never executed the plan.

‘What should I give as a gift…’

The only time she picked up someone else’s birthday gift was when she lived alone with her father in the mountains.

At that time, she was so young that she roughly picked fruits from the mountain as a gift or bought hairpins for girls in the lower village, saying it was a gift from her father, to satisfy her materialistic desires. Those weren’t really gifts.

“Riley, I’d like to go with you, but sorry, I have work today.”

“It’s okay. Then, I’ll go by myself.”

“Yeah. Take care, and see you tomorrow!”

After the lecture, Riley headed to the main square. She hoped to find something suitable for a gift while exploring the lively shops.

Fortunately, her pocket situation was comfortable. Since she didn’t spend money for her living expenses and used the income that came in regularly for her living expenses, she had a surplus.

Riley absentmindedly admired the showrooms of the shops, wondering if there were things suitable for Gibnen.
In fact, as she roamed the shops, Riley became more and more confused about what men liked to receive and what items they favored, as she had no prior knowledge.

While she was strolling and contemplating, a man of average build approached Riley and accidentally bumped into her.

“Oops!”

He immediately snatched the bag Riley was holding and began to run away.

Riley, unable to overcome the shock, stumbled and fell to the ground, her buttocks hitting the floor.

‘My money!’

Without a moment to lose in the blink of an eye, Riley, who had risen from her seat without giving a chance for distraction, began chasing the man as if she were mad.

“He’s a thief! Someone catch the thief!”

Although Riley shouted desperately, there was no one willing to step forward.

The pickpocket, for his part, seemed to have specialized in pickpocketing for his whole life, as his legs were incredibly fast.

It was a speed that she dared not follow. As the man gradually moved away, he began to appear smaller. The distance between them widened noticeably.

Nevertheless, Riley, who couldn’t give up, continued to run. Because tomorrow was Gibnen’s birthday party, she had to prepare a gift today.

“Hey, miss, it’s dangerous!”

“Stop!”

“Aaargh!”

In a very short time, threats and screams from several people echoed in her ears.

A carriage coming quickly from a nearby place was visible. At a glance, it was not a normal carriage.

In a crowded square where there was a designated speed for carriages, the carriage rushing towards Riley seemed to have some problem, as it was approaching at an incredible speed.

At the moment when she saw the carriage, Riley recalled the image of her father being hit by a carriage.

As soon as the shocking scene of her father bleeding came to mind, her breath was cut off, and her body began to stiffen. The memory of holding her bleeding father and crying loudly occupied her vision.

In that moment when it seemed unavoidable, just as the carriage was getting dangerously close:

“What the hell are you doing!”

Someone who had narrowed the distance in an instant grabbed Riley’s hand forcefully.

Riley’s body was dragged away as if it were paper, and before long, the place where she had been standing was passed by the carriage.

Riley, as if hyperventilating, gasped heavily, blocking her mouth, and breathed rough breaths, sweating coldly.

“Hey, snap out of it! Why are you like this!”

She raised her head at the familiar voice.

The figure of Half, who had turned white, came into view.