Chapter 153, Present

Translator: Nonon

Proofreader: Silavin

 

Lady Violet’s group accompanied the drunk Ms. Kriemhild and let her rest in the nearby room that looked like the waiting room. Accounting for her dress needing to be loosed up or things turning into a disastrous scene which could not be shown to the opposite sex, were waiting for the report outside the room.

By the way, I parted ways with Mrs. Vert in the venue. She could probably use some sobering up magic, but there was no knowing what she would do while we were waiting.

After a while, Lady Violet left the room.

 

“How is Ms. Kriemhild?”

“She’s calmed down a bit now. Amber will be looking after her for a while… Still, I didn’t think her alcohol tolerance would be this low.”

“It seems so.”

 

After hearing those words, I was relieved that she would not end up continuously vomiting like before. Then, when I looked inside the open room, I saw Ms. Kriemhild lying on the sofa, with a jacket draped over her and her arm resting on her forehead.

… I guess she really can’t have alcohol. Even though it really was a very small amount.

 

“What would you like to do now? We have fulfilled our obligations as the guests and there’s nothing to do even if we go back in there.”

“You’re right. I’ll only be looked at scornfully even if I go back, so-“

 

The awards ceremony was over, and now it was the time for scouting and looking for romantic partners. All that was left was a closing speech from the school principal.

By the way, the school principal is a handsome young man(?) of unknown age, whose looks make you wonder how old he is. If it’s just like the game story, he should be secretly involved in important positions in the kingdom. To approximate his age, he’s probably over sixty.

 

“—Ah, no. Sorry Burnt, but could you and Gray go back first? Lord Clo and I will follow you later.”

“Mother?”

 

As I was musing over whether to go back or not, Lady Violet spoke to Mr. Burnt as if she had just noticed something.

Gray looked puzzled at her sudden words. I was wondering too, but… maybe she felt bad for interrupting Gray, who was still enjoying delicious food.

Gray seemed a little hesitant to eat because we were also there, so maybe… she wanted to help him eat freely.

However, from Mr. Burnt’s point of view, this may have been a difficult order. Although it was only temporary, he had to obey his Master, but if he left now, it would be just me and Lady Violet left alone. He probably would not want to go too far away from his Master…

 

“As you will. — Let’s go, Lord Gray.”

“Huh, ah, yes. I understand …?”

 

However, Mr. Burnt returned to the party venue with Gray, asking no questions… Maybe I was overthinking it. Perhaps there was no room for doubt in his mind because Lady Violet was free to do whatever she wanted with her life, and he was also now treating Gray as his Master’s Son.

Once Gray and Mr. Burnt were out of sight, Lady Violet gently closed the door to the room where Ms. Kriemhild was.

 

“Lord Clo, can I have some of your time?”

“Yes, I don’t mind?”

“I see…”

 

Then she turned towards me and asked me a question in a stronger voice than usual.

After a short pause, she looked towards a place with fewer people around.

 

“Would you like to feel the night breeze for a bit?’

 

She suggested thus.

 

◆

 

“As expected, it’s quite cold outside.”

“We don’t have coats either.”

 

Although she suggested we go outside, usually re-entering the building was not allowed once you left and we could not leave Gray and Mr. Burnt behind, so we went out on a nearby balcony.

The view was decent, and it seemed easy to infiltrate, but if anybody actually tried to enter from here, they would likely set off magical barriers and alarms.

Thus, we were enjoying the night breeze as proposed by Lady Violet.

It was not snowing, but it was still cold without a coat. I felt like I would catch a cold right away.

 

“Lord Clo, I would like to… talk for a bit.”

 

Perhaps also feeling the cold, Lady Violet turned towards me to explain why she had made such a suggestion out of nowhere.

Was it my imagination that she looked different from usual? I could sense that she was a little nervous and determined to give it her all.

 

“We were all going to celebrate it together, you see. But I thought I would cheat a little… to be honest, I was told that keeping it a secret would be better.”

 

Cheat? A secret?

While I was wondering what she meant by that, Lady Violet turned her back to me and appeared to take something out, before turning towards me again.

I could not tell what she was holding, because she held it in her hand behind her back.

 

“Lord Clo.”

“Y-yes.”

 

I wondered what was going on.

Even putting the whole situation aside, Lady Violet’s behavior also seemed different from the usual. I felt like she was speaking louder than usual. She ended up speaking in a flustered tone because of that though.

And then, after she glared at me with a determined look in her eyes,

 

“Happy… birthday.”

 

Along with the celebratory words, she handed me the thing she had been hiding behind her back – a wrapped square box with something in it.

Her sudden words and actions took me by surprise and left me dumbfounded.

But when I understood what day it was and her words,

 

 

“Thank you very much, Lady Violet.”

 

I accepted the present that was offered to me.

Come to think of it, today was my twentieth birthday. So many things happened that I forgot about it. Although I did remember about it a little bit when I met Ms. Ingot.

…  Oh, that’s why Gray told Apricot to take care of things before we left, and why Mr. Burnt seemed strange when we were getting ready. In that case, maybe Mr. Burnt knew what was going to happen earlier too. And when we go back, Cyan and Apricot might have some kind of a surprise for me.

 

“I’m happy to be congratulated like this.”

“… I’m glad you liked it.

“Yes, after all you gave it to me by going ahead of everybody. Even sending Gray and Mr. Burnt away.”

“T-that’s… I wanted to congratulate you even though I knew it was sneaky. You see, I wanted to make you happy even by a little… I was pretty anxious though…”

“Haha, thank you very much.”

 

Lady Violet blushed at my words and turned away slightly.

This might be her first time doing something like this.

I’m sure she was anxious too, but when I think about how she prepared this present for me…

 

“Receiving a present like this from a person I love makes me happy. Even more so, when you did it with me in mind. Oh, right. Can I open it now?”

 

She did not just give me a present, she cheated a little to give it to me now, perhaps out of the feeling… of mischief. Anyway, I just found her so cute. I’m wholeheartedly happy that she wanted to make me happy. Maybe the reason she gave it to me now was because they were going to celebrate my birthday, but she wanted to give me something before then.

Anyway, I got to see a new side of her, and that alone was more than enough as a birthday present.

And seeing Lady Violet blush, as if she was embarrassed was also—

 

“—-”

 

Even the way she cried was—

 

“—Huh?”

 

Lady Violet was no longer red with embarrassment like a moment ago.

She was shedding tears, as if something unbelievable had just happened, not even bothering to wipe them away with her hands.

 

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