Chapter 111: Happy Birthday, Father! |
Desmond's birthday dawned.
It marked the end of a long period of life in the capital.
Despite the somewhat awkward incident with Kyle, our mutual understanding allowed us to find a silent consensus and move on naturally.
In my room on the second floor of the manor,
Dressed once again in butler's attire, I stretched out my stiff body and let out a lazy yawn. Whether it was the heart-stopping date from last evening or the heated exchange with Kyle, I felt unusually fatigued.
Strangely tired.
"Achoo! Ugh…"
There seemed to be a hint of a cold coming on.
Ever since I reached the level of a Sword Expert, I thought I had built a wall against colds, but the unwelcome sensation seemed to have found a way through after a long absence.
I glanced at the clock.
[10:00]
I covered my ears and nodded.
"One. Two. Three."
-Aiiieeek!! Air raid warning!!!
-Empire emergency!
-Imperial forces mobilize!
Listening to the familiar harmony of the Desmond family, I couldn't help but smile pleasantly.
"Even today, you seem to be in good health."
*
Darbav's birthday celebration began early in the morning.
The manor was bustling with many guests, including high-ranking nobles and business associates. Olivia and I stayed as quiet as mice, tucked away in a corner of the banquet hall.
"Ricardo."
"Yes?"
"There are too many people."
"It's because the head of the family is so popular."
"Does father have many friends?"
"Yes."
Olivia looked at Darbav with a gloomy expression.
"I don't have any."
"You're a loner, aren't you?"
"No, I have Ricardo."
"That makes you a loner."
Olivia seemed displeased by the new title, puffing her cheeks and filling them with air.
"I'm not a loner."
"Sure~"
"Eek!"
At my teasing response, Olivia clenched her fist and raised it fiercely.
"Darbav!"
"Aunt…!"
When the voice of the aunt who swore to break his legs if they met echoed from afar, Olivia quickly ducked under the tablecloth, squeaking in fear.
"Ricardo, hide me!"
She ducked her head swiftly, then from her treasure pouch, she produced a small black box.
"Why is that coming from there?"
"It's important. What if I lose it?"
"Still…"
Olivia cut me off with a decisive retort, as if it were the most natural thing.
"Give this to father."
"Me?"
"Mhm. There are too many people for me to approach."
Olivia looked down at her immobile legs.
Unable to walk.
She knew all too well that her existence, tainted by the use of dark magic, was not welcomed in this banquet hall.
The title of a flawed noble lady, known only for her temper, was firmly attached to her.
That's probably why, despite Darbav's suggestion to sit beside the stage before the banquet, she shook her head and chose a quiet corner instead.
Even I knew that Olivia's presence, trying to spread her wings once more, would not yield favorable results in this setting.
From the moment Olivia used dark magic, she became a castaway of the Desmond family.
Revealing her face in public as if to say, ‘We've reconciled,' would surely shake the foundations carefully built up until now.
Kyle knew this too, which is why he dissuaded Darbav from insisting, and Rosanna kept her own counsel, offering only a sad smile.
I actually preferred this cold treatment, as it eased my mind.
The rights that should naturally belong to a child of Desmond weren't recognized by others, because they saw something else.
Perhaps this was a problem we had to accept and a responsibility we needed to bear.
But.
I thought it best that Olivia personally present the gift. My delivering it could change its meaning, suggesting it was merely a formality, and might disappoint Darbav.
I held a private belief that true father's pet, Darbav, had been waiting for a gift from his daughter after almost two years without one. The absence of something he’d indulged in for half a lifetime would likely leave a gaping void, so I brusquely refused to take the black box from Olivia’s hand.
Olivia's hand, holding the black box, remained awkwardly suspended in the air.
I whistled as I refused the demanding hand of Olivia.
"Let the young lady give it herself."
"I don't want to."
"It's not like you don't have hands."
"I don't have hands."
Olivia puffed up her cheeks and hid her fingers in her sleeves, pretending they had just appeared. ‘There, satisfied?' she looked at me with her sulky eyes. Nearly swayed by her adorable face, I, as a true butler and technically a member of the Desmond household, resisted the urge to indulge her, considering the head of the household's bright and cheerful mental health.
"Ricardo, my hand fell off."
"Didn't you say you didn't have hands?"
"They just grew back."
"Are you a lizard?"
"Is that a tasty thing?"
"No."
Olivia looked down with a glum expression.
"That's boring."
"I didn't intend to amuse."
"Eek!"
Biting her lip in mock anger, Olivia eventually looked down and spilled her heart out.
"I want to give it to him once my leg is healed."
"I think it would be alright to give it now."
I suggested to Olivia, who was watching Darbav greet the guests. When it was our turn, why not slip it to him casually?
The hesitant Olivia looked up at me with uncertainty.
"Is that alright?"
Tempted by the reasonable proposition, Olivia tilted her head, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded, reassuring her.
"Of course. Wouldn't you prefer to do it yourself? I'm sure the head of the household would appreciate it too."
The effects of the ‘Touch of Rehabilitation' hadn't shown dramatically yet. I wasn't sure what ‘vitality' truly meant, but I was certain it involved something positive not to be wasted lightly.
It's a problem that time can solve. There's no need to rush. Eventually, we'd find a way to replenish the ‘vitality' and heal Olivia's legs.
And for the spirit possessing me, the word ‘impossible' did not exist.
I placed the black box back in Olivia's hand and gave her a beaming smile.
"Here he comes."
Approaching us, Darbav's expression was different from the forced smiles he'd shown other guests; his lips were twitching with genuine joy at the sight of his daughter.
Casually trying to engage with us, Darbav said:
"Hmm… Olivia, you were sitting here."
"Yes."
From under the tablecloth, Olivia's fidgeting fingers came into view. Hesitating whether to give it or not, I gave her a little nudge on the side with a teasing poke.
"Kyaaack…! Heeh… Whaa…?!"
With a startled jump, her hand burst above the table.
Olivia glared at me in panic, but I simply turned away as if I knew nothing.
And Darbav's lips were curling into a wide grin.
"Er… that's…!"
Seeing the black box in Olivia's hand, Darbav's eyes moistened instantly.
"Is this a gift for father?"
Feeling betrayed, Olivia glared at me, but I winked back at her as naturally as could be.
"What's that! Surely not…!"
"Eek… Ricardo, you're bad."
"I just thought your side looked itchy, so I helped."
"Huuuh…"
Olivia sighed deeply and took a deep breath.
"Now's the time."
Whispering in a voice too low for Darbav to hear, I winked again, mustering all my charm to encourage the hesitant Olivia.
Swallowing nervously, Olivia faced Darbav. Unable to hide his anticipation, Darbav's expression almost made me laugh, but I didn't want to fill this historic moment with derisive noise. So I simply watched with a faint smile, waiting to hear the congratulatory words Olivia would utter.
"Dad!"
"Yes, Olivia."
"Great-grandmother used to rant about father a lot…!"
"What?"
"She said that although you were her child, you had the temper of a dog! So…!"
Sweating profusely, Olivia thrust the gift forward.
"Happy Birthday!"
Her birthday wish, which could have been mistaken for a curse, elicited a warm smile from Darbav.
"Mother said that, did she… I guess I'll skip the grave visit next year."
And with that, it also seemed to cement a decision to commit filial impiety.
Darbav opened the black box in front of Olivia. Although he'd received many costly gifts today, like those from the manor or mines, the sight of this particular gift brought him more joy than any other.
"Did you pick this out yourself, Olivia?"
"Yes."
"That's my daughter. What excellent taste."
Darbav affixed the pin Olivia had gifted him to his tie, his face beaming with fatherly pride.
"Thank you, daughter. May you live long and healthy. And Ricardo."
"Yes?"
"Should I consider the box left in my room at dawn as part of the dowry?"
"Excuse me, what did you say…?"
"Hmm… The dowry will suffice."
Darbav kissed Olivia's forehead and left the table, where small droplets of moisture could be seen.
That they were tears was our little secret that needed no words.
