Chapter 3.2

“Ouch, hot!”  

“Ahhh! How could you just grab something that hot with your bare hands? Use these gloves, please.”  

“I forgot. It looked like it turned out well, so I was in a rush to take it out…”  

“I feel like my lifespan is shortening because of you. Can you please ask me before you do anything? Or at least wait until I tell you what to do?”  

Although Gordon kept scolding her without pause, he skillfully and swiftly helped cool her hand with cold water.  

Despite his endless nagging, she was simply amazed that the cake turned out to look more appetizing than she had expected.  

“Ow.”  

“Ahhh! Blood! Blood! Why is there blood while decorating the cake?”  

“I was trying to make a design, but it didn’t go well. I saw a cake decorated with strawberries shaped like flowers before, and it looked so pretty.”  

The strawberries were softer than she anticipated, and the knife was sharper than she had thought.  

She pressed a towel firmly against her stinging finger. By now, her hands were covered with burns, blisters, and cuts, leaving barely any uninjured spots.  

“That kind of thing is too much for you, my lady. Should I do it for you?”  

“Then it’s meaningless. At least cut it in half and make it into a heart shape…”  

“Ahhh! Please put the knife down. Strawberries are pretty just by placing them on top!”  

With Gordon’s final scream, her very first cake was completed. This practice marked the beginning of nightly cake-baking sessions with Gordon until the Grand Duke’s birthday.  

***

The long-awaited birthday of the Grand Duke finally arrived. From the morning, an overwhelming number of gifts began to arrive at the Grand Duke’s residence.  

She had heard about it from Dean, but the sheer volume of gifts, loaded onto multiple carriages, exceeded her imagination.  

When she unrolled the scroll listing the gifts, it was so long that it dragged on the floor—one could only guess how extensive it was.  

There were enough weapons to arm the entire Knight Order and still have some left, along with extravagant clothing that wouldn’t run out even if worn for a month straight. There were high-priced jewels and artworks from popular painters in the capital.  

Watching the scene, she couldn’t help but wonder if these were truly birthday gifts for the Grand Duke or tributes from the Emperor to sustain the Grand Duchy.  

The servants moving the gifts seemed unfazed, as if they were accustomed to it. She was the only one standing there wide-eyed and slack-jawed.  

“Truly incredible.”  

“It wasn’t this much last year, but it feels like it increases every year.”  

Dean, busy checking the gift list, still found time to respond diligently.  

“But is the Grand Duke very busy? He didn’t even come out for breakfast…”  

Her heart fluttered as she looked for an opportunity to deliver the cake, but she couldn’t find a chance to meet the Grand Duke.  

“He’s probably in his office. On his birthday, he usually locks himself in there and doesn’t come out all day.”  

“I see. Thank you for letting me know.”  

She smiled softly and turned to leave, but Dean’s words stopped her in her tracks.  

“I told you not to do anything, but you’ve planned something, haven’t you?”  

“Planned something? I just… made a birthday cake, that’s all.”  

It wasn’t as if she were plotting anything sinister.  

“You made a cake? You, Lady Elena, made it yourself?”  

Dean widened his eyes, as if it was the last thing he expected.  

“Yes. I thought a gift filled with sincerity would be nice…”  

Well, it was only because she didn’t have any money.  

However, Dean’s face, which had been full of surprise, soon turned into one of pity.  

“…He probably won’t like it. He might even get angry. He’s especially sensitive on his birthday. Are you still going to give it to him?”  

Dean seemed worried that she might feel hurt. Perhaps leaving the Grand Duke alone to spend the day quietly was a form of consideration for him.  

She thought about it for a moment, but her mind did not change.  

Even so, she still wanted to celebrate his birthday.  

“If no one does anything, nothing will change. I want the Grand Duke’s birthday to be a happy day.”  

She thought Dean might try to stop her, but surprisingly, he smiled warmly.  

“Yes. I hope so too. No, please make it so. If it weren’t for you, His Grace would never experience something like a birthday cake in his lifetime.”  

***

Standing in front of the Grand Duke’s office, she took a deep breath to calm her trembling heart.  

He had repeatedly emphasized not to invade his space, so this was the first time she had directly sought him out in his office.  

In her hands was a small strawberry cake she had woken up early to make.  

After two knocks and a brief wait, a voice came from inside.  

“What is it?”  

Although he hadn’t granted her permission to enter, she opened the door and stepped inside.  

The Grand Duke, buried in piles of papers and reviewing documents, only glanced at her briefly before fixing his gaze back on the paperwork.  

Without even looking at her, he asked, 

“Why are you here?”  

“I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Your Grace.”  

She thought he might frown again. Then perhaps, grudgingly, he might accept it—just as he always had.  

“You’re doing something unnecessary. Leave now.”  

But his expressionless face betrayed no emotion.  

Compared to before, the atmosphere was sharper than she had ever seen.  

Not long ago, in the greenhouse, she had thought he had softened, but now the Grand Duke’s presence was so cold and sharp that just looking at him sent chills down her spine.  

“Um… P-please take a look at this. I brought you a cake. I made it myself. Could you at least try a little?”  

She held out the cake, her proud creation, but his reaction was indifferent.  

“I never asked for something like that.”  

“Birthdays aren’t about being asked; they’re about celebrating.”  

“That might be true for you.”  

“It’s the same for everyone. I’m genuinely happy about your birthday, Your Grace. That’s why I want to celebrate it with you.”  

“Hah.”  

The Grand Duke let out a sigh with a cold expression and slowly rose from his seat.  

“Listen, I warned you. Get out.”  

As he approached slowly, he resembled a predator waiting to pounce on its prey, causing her to unconsciously hold her breath.  

“What exactly do you want, coming here?”  

He stopped right in front of her feet, but she couldn’t move an inch.  

For the first time, she thought she was scared. His golden eyes, darkened with a heavy shadow. That voice, chillingly low.  

“Why? Did you feel pity seeing me locked away alone on my birthday? Or do you feel like some kind of great person, spouting nonsense like that?”  

A faint scent of alcohol wafted from him as he came closer.  

“Did you… drink?”  

At her words, the Grand Duke, who had been speaking threateningly, flinched and took a step back.  

“So what? Are you trying to say I’m drunk now?”  

She shook her head slightly. Perhaps she hadn’t fully understood the depth of his pain.  

“Not all births in this world are blessed. There are cursed ones that no one wants. Do you understand?”  

He smirked bitterly, muttering to himself in a self-deprecating tone.  

“Of course, you wouldn’t understand. Someone like you, with a head full of flowers.”  

His wavering eyes said it all. How tangled his emotions were.  

He looked angry, yet sorrowful. He seemed empty, yet utterly despondent.  

Had the Grand Duke always lived believing he was cursed?  

That couldn’t be.  

How much pain must someone endure to think that way?  

She took a step forward, closing the distance.  

One step, then another.  

With each step she took closer, the Grand Duke retreated just as much.  

“What… what are you doing?”  

“It’s a blessing. At least, it is to me. If this day didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have met you, Your Grace.”  

“Stop it.”  

Why had she been afraid? Standing before someone who was in so much pain.  

Someone who was screaming with their entire being that they were hurting.  

“I’m truly grateful that you were born, Your Grace.”  

But she should have stopped, as he had asked.  

“I said stop. Ugh.”  

Suddenly, the Grand Duke staggered, clutching his head and letting out a low groan. Soon, his large hand covered his entire face.  

“Your Grace! Are you all right?”  

“Let me go.”  

She tried to support him, but he roughly pushed her hand away.  

“Get out. Please, just leave me alone.”  

He was now engulfed in an unfathomable depth of darkness.  

She thought she could do something for him. No, she wanted to do something for him, no matter what.  

But seeing him in such torment, she realized it was all just her arrogance and delusion.  

“I’m sorry. I’ll leave.”  

The cake she had worked so hard to make was left behind, untouched, without even a single candle lit.