Taking just one step inside the door completely changed the flow of time.

Outside the mansion, it was a dark evening with drizzling rain, but inside, it was as if the sun had just risen, with warm morning sunlight pouring through every window.

I blinked several times.

Am I dreaming right now?

Perhaps what happened in the main building was a dream, and I’ve just woken up.

The scene before me, as if the clockwork of time had been wound, and Leo’s lovable appearance, carefully wrapped like a gift box, felt so unreal that such thoughts crossed my mind.

“Birthday, they say……”

I muttered, unable to take my eyes off Leo with his ribbon.

Then Terry, who now seemed quite like a seasoned butler, began to lead me somewhere.

“Come now, this is no time to be standing around, Master. We’ve prepared a lot, but our heartless Master went out in the morning, exuding a terrible mood, and only returned in the middle of the night. Thanks to that, there are only a few hours left of Master’s birthday.”

So I hadn’t misheard.

‘Today was Belinda’s birthday.’

It must have been information I clearly knew thanks to the memory fragments, but I hadn’t paid much attention to it.

Birthdays weren’t days of great significance to me.

So…

“Everyone is waiting for you, Master.”

I never expected that they would have prepared such an occasion.

The bright morning sunlight poured through the large windows of the banquet hall we arrived at.

On the table, a grand feast was laid out appetizingly, though it had grown cold, and despite the late hour, not only the residents but even Cheshire was seated, waiting for me.

“Please sit down, Master. Everyone must be very hungry, but especially Vivian, who is several times more ferocious than usual when starved, so we need to put something in her stomach quickly.”

I sat down, escorted by Terry, who pulled out the chair at the head of the table for me.

As soon as I sat down, everyone opened their mouths as if they had been waiting.

“Happy birthday, Belinda.”

Vivian, congratulated me without even taking a proper breath, her gaze fixed on the giant roast pig.

“Master, I’m sorry, but I don’t have the energy to greet you right now……”

Cheshire, who started speaking but then collapsed onto the table, drinking a magic potion like a Monday office worker getting a caffeine injection.

“Congratulations.”

Sir Penadel, offering a simple greeting.

“Lady Belinda! Congratulations!”

Leo, congratulated me for the third time already.

“We rolled the magician, I mean, with the magician’s help, we brought daylight into the mansion with a welcoming spell. So the sun won’t set until the magician dies of mana depletion. So please enjoy this endless today to your heart’s content, Master.”

Even Terry, said something terrifying with a gentle smile.

As I listened to everyone’s congratulations, I slowly realized.

So this is… what a birthday party is.

“……”

I opened my mouth to say something in response, but no words came out.

I didn’t know what to say in this situation.

As I was searching for words, I suddenly noticed the sunlight pooling in my hand.

The illusion magic probably couldn’t recreate the warmth or texture of objects, but strangely, my hands, my chest, my whole body felt as if it were being warmed like a pebble.

I clenched my hand tightly and finally opened my mouth.

“Everyone, eat.”

Despite my words sounding drier than usual, no one seemed displeased and quickly moved their hands.

All the food had gone cold, but no one complained.

“Can’t we have Bell’s birthday every day? Huh?”

Sugar, who had taken over a corner of the table, was given a handful of gold coins out of generosity, and how happy she was!

She once again reminded everyone that Sugar’s happiness could only be bought with gold coins.

Under the long banquet table, the Cerberus dogs who had performed “pretending to be fierce” so well were enjoying their feast.

While everyone was enjoying what seemed like breakfast in the evening, I could hardly swallow any food.

My stomach was churning strangely.

It was different from feeling indigestion or bloated.

It felt as if something had settled in my stomach and was tickling my insides.

“Lady Belinda.”

Perhaps noticing that I wasn’t moving my hands, Leo leaned slightly toward me and whispered as if telling a secret.

“I think I was too excited earlier and didn’t say it properly. So what I want to say is… really, really happy birthday.”

Even though he had already congratulated me several times, did he feel it wasn’t enough?

The magical sunlight that didn’t tilt at all shimmered over Leo’s clear face as he whispered, illuminating his cheeks covered in softness.

For some reason, seeing that face reminded me of words I had buried in the depths of my heart.

‘I never wanted anything like a family.’

‘Or a birthday table set just for me.’

‘Or having the first greeting I hear on my birthday be “Happy birthday”.’

‘Or having dinner with everyone gathered around.’

I felt like I could now admit that all of that was just empty talk.

In fact, there wasn’t a single moment when I didn’t want it.

A birthday table set just for me.

Words congratulating me for being born.

A special meal proves that it’s the most special day of the year.

Accepting the fact that I had secretly been wishing for such things all along, I resignedly acknowledged one truth.

That even if the introduction of <Hirome> began, I could never leave this place.

Now this kingdom was my hometown, this mansion was my home, and these people sharing a table with me were my family.

As I fixed Leo’s disheveled hair ribbon, I surrendered to the tickling sense of fullness and ended up smiling.

“……!”

Leo’s eyes widened, and soon both his cheeks turned the color of ripe peaches.

Thinking that Belinda’s vicious smile might have slipped out again, I quickly turned my head, only to find everyone’s gaze directed at me.

They all had faces as if they’d seen something unbelievable.

‘……Was it that fierce?’

It must have been quite terrifying, as Sir Penadel had frozen in place, just as he was about to pick up some salad.

It was then, as I cleared my throat and pretended to wipe my mouth with a napkin.

“Master, I think it’s time for me to die. I’m seeing things.”

“My goodness, Master. I didn’t know you could smile so gently.”

“Um… it doesn’t suit you at all, but then again, it suits you perfectly.”

“What is it, what is it? Sugar didn’t see! Do it again, Bell!”

“……”

I quickly glanced at my reflection in the water glass, but the smile everyone was talking about had already disappeared completely.

If it had been when I didn’t know much about Belinda, I might have suspected that there was an error in the translator.

I would have thought Belinda was a person like an ice flower, incapable of smiling kindly.

But now I know.

That Belinda, too, used to be a child who could smile like a spring flower.

I now knew that the moment I thought of them as family, her smile, which she had only shown to her family, had appeared.

***

After the feast, what awaited me was Terry with an extremely solemn expression.

“The time has finally come. Master, we will now begin the gift-giving ceremony.”

“……?”

Is there really a need to announce the start of a gift-giving ceremony so solemnly?

But it seemed I was the only one who thought so.

At Terry’s words, even Leo’s expression became serious, and they all gathered around me one by one.

“For the sake of fair judging, we won’t reveal who prepared which gift. Master, please choose the gift you like the most, more impartially than ever before.”

……There’s even judging?

Is this what birthday parties are usually like?

I was bewildered, but if I had to rank them, Leo would obviously be first.

The problem was picking out Leo’s gift from the various presents placed before me.

I carefully picked up the closest gift first.

It was a small box about the size of my palm, and inside was something that looked like a handmade ticket.

As soon as I saw it, I had a hunch.

‘This must be Leo’s gift.’

This is surely a free massage ticket or something that Leo made by hand……!

[♥Free Assassination Ticket♥]

We will kill anything for you.

……Assassination ticket?

“……”

There was only one person who would neatly wrap something so terrifying as a gift.

I glanced at Terry, and she cleared her throat and avoided my gaze.

She was undoubtedly the culprit.

As I put this horrifying ticket back in the box and sealed it tightly, I muttered.

“I’ll… keep this for life.”

Because I will absolutely, absolutely never use it.

“For life……!”

Terry exclaimed with a seemingly joyful face, looking around at everyone.

I quietly put Terry’s gift back in its place as if defusing a time bomb, and this time chose the largest gift box.

As I opened the lid of the one almost as big as my upper body, a strong floral scent wafted out.

“This is……”

What filled the box was roses, probably hundreds of them.