Chapter 183
Chapter 183
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: Kara's Birthday Party
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On the day of Kara's birthday party.
Lianus suddenly realized that he had been living in a greenhouse all this time. And just how much His Majesty, whom he had thought was indifferent, had been watching over him.
'Yeah, it's always been like this outside the palace.'
The children who stole glances at him but never came too close, the occasional bursts of laughter amid their whispers, and at the center of it all, those crimson eyes.
'Older Brother's here too...'
An invitation had gone out, of course, but Lianus hadn't expected him to actually show up, so he felt a bit awkward. Their crimson eyes met for just a fleeting moment, but then the gaze was quickly averted, as if it had been a mistake.
Maybe it really had been. Normally, those eyes would have curved into delighted crescents at the sight of him.
At that moment, a tall figure stepped in front of him. It was Sergio.
"Your Highness, is there anything you'd like to eat?"
That question quickly washed away his bittersweet feelings. Sergio acted like he wasn't a servant, but he always found ways to look after him.
"Hyung, I want..."
"Get your own."
"Tch."
Riven tried to get his brother to fetch food for him but failed and went off to grab some dessert. Lianus simply asked for a drink and fiddled with the elixir tucked in his pocket.
"Want something too? ...Sir?"
Sergio, on his way to get drinks, paused and asked his close friend as well. He still kept an eye on Nihil, but since Nihil had fixed his leg, he seemed to be making an effort to take care of him.
Nihil, whom Lianus had expected to decline, surprisingly stuck close to Sergio and scribbled on his palm.
-Strawberry-less strawberry cake
Sergio's face crumpled as he read it, but Nihil chuckled softly, clearly amused, and nodded as if to say hurry up.
"Your Highness!"
"Noah."
Noah rejoined them after finishing his chat with Baron Allie, filling the circular empty space around Lianus so it wasn't noticeable anymore. To think he could blend into the banquet hall's atmosphere so naturally—it was all thanks to his close friend.
"Nil, thank you."
"...?"
Nihil tilted his head at the sudden gratitude but nodded soon after. And then, an irritating conversation drifted over.
"I heard the commoner the 2nd Prince brought isn't human—he's a doll..."
"He's super strong too, apparently. Lifts the Prince up like it's nothing!"
"Must really be a doll. No emotions, can't feel pain or anything."
"Really?"
"I pulled his hair earlier—no reaction at all. Look!"
One child held out her hand, showing something. A single thin strand of white thread glinted briefly in the light.
When the hell did they grab his hair!
Lianus whipped his head toward his friend in a surge of anger, but beneath the black veil was a faint smile.
Yeah, just like the warm, contented look when puppy Lobby gnawed on Nihil's hair.
"Wow, that's weird."
"It's really white!"
"... "
Lianus opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. It didn't seem like his friend had been bullied. Plus, the ponytail he had carefully tied that morning was still perfectly intact.
Soon after, cat fairy Kara made her grand entrance, proudly displaying her ears and wings.
"Waaah!"
"It's sparkling!"
"So pretty."
The children's reactions were predictably ecstatic. When her wings fluttered slowly, scattering light dust, their eyes sparkled in unison.
And Nihil was wiggling his fingers as he watched them. Lianus couldn't quite tell what it meant, but it looked like he was counting heads.
"Nil, what're you doing?"
"Counting money."
"... "
Lianus was at a loss for words at the unexpected reply. A quick glance around showed the guardians' faces growing increasingly grim.
Does Nil need money that badly? Should I give him some of my allowance? As those thoughts ran through his mind, Kara, having basked in the envious stares to her heart's content, cleared her throat dramatically.
"Ahem, ahem! Thank you all for coming to my birthday party! Have lots of fun!"
With her short, simple greeting done, Kara stepped down from the podium, and the children swarmed her. Mostly girls around her age.
"Happy birthday, Miss Kara."
"Congratulations!"
"You're so pretty!"
"Thank you!"
Kara soaked up the young guests' envy while fiddling with her magic tool this way and that. Cat, fairy, bunny, angel... Every transformation drew gasps of admiration. Kara's shoulders rose higher with each one.
"Mommy, I want wings too..."
"Daddy... I want one of those..."
The magic tool's popularity had Karus and Baron Allie surrounded by parents in no time.
"Marquis, where can we get one of those toys...?"
"Haha... Kara got it as a gift, so I'm not sure. I just know the Allie Merchant House has exclusive supply rights..."
"Baron Allie, does your merchant house deal in magic tools now...?"
"How'd you connect with the Magic Tower...?"
Lianus smiled proudly at the better-than-expected response. His close friend really was amazing.
"Ugh, what the heck is a strawberry-less strawberry cake?"
Meanwhile, Sergio was meticulously picking strawberries off a cake to fulfill Nihil's order. What was even funnier was Nihil plucking and eating those very strawberries.
Sergio gaped at the sight.
"Hey, then why eat those?"
"... "
"You don't like strawberries?"
Nihil shook his head vigorously.
"Then just eat it all together!"
Sergio snapped in frustration at his wasted effort but still finished removing the strawberries.
Sergio nags a lot, but... he seems like a really good guy.
"Hyung, pick out the olives for me too."
"Riven, if you hate olives, you should've grabbed something else! Just eat it."
"Why do it for him and not me? I'm your brother!"
Lianus watched the bickering Tarandrus brothers with a fond smile, then suddenly thought of his own and turned his head.
"Happy birthday, Miss Kara."
"Thank you, 1st Prince!"
His older brother handed Kara a gift and exchanged a few words with Karus before apparently heading off to another engagement.
"Rian."
"Huh?"
Startled by the quiet call, Lianus whipped around and nearly jumped. Somehow, the black veil—no, Nihil—had crept right up close.
Nihil whispered so only he could hear.
"Tuned the violin?"
"Oh, right!"
Lianus remembered their planned congratulatory performance and quickly checked the violin. He'd inspected it last night and again at dawn, but better safe than sorry.
"Hm..."
Nihil watched Lianus focus elsewhere, then turned to the one observing Lianus just as intently.
The 1st Prince.
The guy stared fixedly at Lianus, unaware of Nihil's gaze, until he finally noticed and flinched before hurrying out of the banquet hall.
Then came a worried mutter.
"Th-the performance... think I can pull it off?"
Nihil nodded reassuringly and pulled two recording orbs from his pocket.
The 1st Prince nagged at him a bit, but he couldn't spare more time. He had to film his kid's talent show.
Besides, the kid's dad had even slipped him extra allowance to make it look pretty.
"Waaah~"
But that allowance might go to waste—the talent show, er, birthday performance was on the verge of cancellation before it even started.
"Clara, it's okay, don't cry..."
"Hic... Clara doesn't wanna..."
The little pianist set to duet with Lianus trembled under the unfamiliar crowd's stares and burst into tears.
Olivia rushed to soothe her sister, but the murmurs only made the child cry harder.
Should I return the allowance...?
As Nihil pondered how to avoid that, Lianus hovered anxiously by the crying Clara, violin in hand.
"Miss Clara, don't cry..."
Unable to stand it, Lianus tried to comfort her. He understood her feelings all too well—his own hands had shaken before his first public performance.
But he had no idea how to console her. Even birthday girl Kara looked awkward, stealing glances at the scene.
Leaving it like this would dampen the party's mood and leave a bad memory for Clara.
What should I do...?
At that moment, Nihil, who seemed to have been mulling something over, handed a crystal orb to Sergio and headed for the piano.
"Nil?"
All eyes turned to him, but Nihil boldly sat at the piano.
Was he going to play instead?
Lianus tilted his head, wondering if his friend even knew piano.
"Nil, you can play piano?"
Nihil nodded enthusiastically and raised his hand high. Clara's tearful eyes widened as she watched him too.
Nil really can do anything!
Impressed inwardly, Lianus raised his bow and waited for Nihil's accompaniment. But the piano sounds that followed made him stagger.
Dudum-dudum, ding-ding-dang-dang—
"Pfft!"
Baron Allie spat out his champagne. Laughter erupted here and there.
The atrocious playing lightened the tense mood, but Lianus grew more confused. He couldn't gauge when to jump in!
Lianus glanced at Nihil's back, hoping for a cue. But Nihil didn't turn, just pounded the keys. His white hair bobbed merrily to the rhythm.
Maybe this is some kind of performance art!
His genius friend might be showing avant-garde art beyond his understanding.
"Nooo!!"
Then Clara shrieked. The piano prodigy clearly didn't get the "art."
"That's not how you play!!"
Clara wriggled free from her sister's arms and dashed to the piano.
"Watch! Like this!"
The little pianist plopped Nihil aside and demonstrated by hammering the keys. And just like that, the piano accompaniment began properly.
Lianus stared blankly, then smiled faintly as Nihil chin-nodded at him.
Kreeeeng—the strings sang out,
Petals scattered on a soft whisper.