Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: The Seventh Gift
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My seventh birthday was approaching.
This time, since it wasn't my fifth, they weren't throwing such a grand party.
I recalled last year.
Last year's birthday had caused quite the commotion too.
Mother firing off enormous fireworks, the ministers gathered and clapping.
Mother insisting on giving me a birthday gift, and my sisters and Isfil looking jealous or something, swearing they'd prepare gifts too—I'd broken out in a cold sweat trying to stop them.
I appreciated the sentiment, but it was burdensome.
Excessive love can be poison.
Mainly because it stirs up a sense of entitlement.
When people feel slighted by each other, it plants thoughts like, I gave you so much, why aren't you giving back?
So I'd talked Mother out of it, and my sisters and Isfil too.
Not that refusing would stop them from giving anyway.
I thanked them from the heart and somehow managed to get through my sixth birthday...
"Theo..."
Seeing Lily sis approach hesitantly, I thought, Here we go again this year.
Yeah, you've come.
"Yes, Lily sis."
"Theo, um..."
She rolled her eyes around before speaking up.
"By any chance... is there nothing you want?"
"Huh?"
"Something you want. Well, not exactly a g... gift, what should I call it? Anyway, is there anything you want?"
She's planning to give me a gift.
Thinking that, I replied.
"Ah, there's nothing I want."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah."
"Really, not even one thing?"
"Really, not a single thing."
"..."
Lily sis narrowed her eyes at me.
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"For real for real?"
"Yeah."
"..."
She stared intently, then sighed, crossed her arms, and closed her eyes.
"You really don't want anything? I didn't mean it in any super special way..."
"Really nothing, sis."
"...Got it."
She muttered in a petulant tone and looked away from me.
"I'll take that as a no then."
She sounded seriously miffed.
But I hoped she'd understand.
Receiving too much just makes me feel weird.
Of course, I'd prepared gifts for them too...
But even for sisters, a ten-year-old getting gifts from a kid? It felt off.
Still, Lily sis wasn't the only one asking about gifts for me.
"Theo, ahem! By any chance, hoping for any particular gift? No... just curious, that's all."
Ravire sis.
"Theo... soon, that, this time..."
Isfil.
"Theodor, is there any gift you'd like?"
Mother too.
No, I've said I don't need anything several times already.
And my answer was always the same.
Just "I'm fine."
*
Lily Castina.
First Princess.
The girl hailed as a genius in magic had one big recent worry.
Walking the palace corridors, she spoke up.
"...What gift would Theo like?"
A flicker of exasperation crossed her maid's face at the question, but she smiled as if nothing happened and replied.
"Prince Theo would surely love anything from Your Highness—"
"That's your usual answer."
Because it was true.
Prince Theodor would say even a wayside flower picked by Lily Princess was great.
Thinking that, the maid fell silent,
and footsteps echoed from afar.
"Oh."
"...Oh...?"
A familiar voice reached Lily's ears.
Lily looked up,
"..."
and locked eyes with a girl with gray hair.
Ravire, Second Princess.
"..."
"..."
Their gazes crossed briefly,
"Got Theo's birthday gift yet?"
"..."
Ravire met her sister's eyes at Lily's question.
They exchanged glances for a moment.
"Theo says he doesn't need a gift."
Lily puffed out her chest proudly.
"So I'm not getting one either."
"...M-me too, Theo said he doesn't need one from me?"
Ravire puffed out her chest too, not to be outdone.
"I-I'm not preparing a gift either?"
"Right. We can't burden Theo with gifts if he doesn't want them."
"Hmph, you're the same."
And Lily smiled softly as she spoke.
"Just to say it again, I'm absolutely not getting Theo a gift."
A blatant lie.
If she said this, Ravire—lacking backbone—would follow suit and skip Theo's gift.
Unlike Theodor, Ravire was immature.
Thinking that, Lily looked at Ravire.
Ravire looked back at Lily.
Lily was a liar.
She lied every day.
So this time, she wouldn't fall for it.
Lily would say that and still get a gift for Theodor.
Then she'd be the fool left empty-handed for Theodor.
So she'd pretend to be fooled this time.
"..."
"..."
Thud, thud.
Footsteps from afar again—their heads snapped around.
Isfil was walking toward them.
"Ah..."
Her eyes met the two princesses', and Isfil timidly bowed in greeting.
"Hello, Your Highnesses..."
"Yeah."
"...Hi."
A stiff atmosphere.
In front of Theodor, the three acted friendly, but without him, they hardly talked.
They only hung out because of their shared connection: Theodor.
Isfil broke the awkward silence.
"Have you two gotten Theodor's gift?"
Her gaze turned to them,
"...No."
"...Me neither."
They answered in unison, as if rehearsed.
"I..."
Isfil rolled her eyes before speaking.
"I'm giving Theodor a gift."
"...!"
The two stared at Isfil in shock.
A gift?
"Th-Theo said he doesn't need one."
"Yeah..."
"He said no need."
"Still?"
"I want to give him one anyway."
Resolve filled Isfil's face.
"Unlike you all, I can't stay with Theo for long."
"..."
"..."
Lily and Ravire exchanged glances,
"I-I... will give him one too."
Ravire muttered quietly, and Lily's eyes widened as she stared, then grumbled petulantly.
"Me too... I'll give one."
"..."
"..."
"..."
After a moment of silence, the three went their separate ways.
Striding swiftly down the corridor, Lily addressed her maid.
"Prepare it."
"Pardon?"
"That Theodor gift we talked about. We're getting it."
Lily gritted her teeth as she walked.
Theodor was different.
The only one who matched her.
Everyone else was boring.
Peers were too childish or just didn't get her; adults treated her like a kid and wouldn't listen.
But Theodor was different.
He never dismissed her as childish, conversed well with her.
And not only that—he wielded magic too.
The only kid who could use magic like her.
Unlike the foolish, talentless others, he matched her in magic.
And more.
Sometimes he felt like a mature adult who truly understood her, so grown-up and refined.
Lily murmured with eyes closed.
"...I won't give Theo up."
Ravire was an idiot who never understood her.
Mother was terrifying, and Isfil...
"..."
She glared coldly at where Isfil had vanished, then walked on.
She had to prepare the most beautiful gift to win Theodor's heart.
Thinking that.
*
In the end, my birthday arrived.
The maids dressed me in new formal wear and led me along.
Looking ahead down the corridor, a room with bright light shining through.
Good, after all my pleading not to use the banquet hall, they listened.
Wonder who's inside.
"Whew."
I sighed and stepped in.
POP!
The moment I entered, fireworks burst and applause rang out.
"Theo! Happy birthday!"
"I love you, Theo!!"
"Theo... happy birthday."
"Theodor, happy birthday, dear."
I looked at the people clapping for me amid the applause.
Mother, Lily sis, Ravire sis, Isfil, and one woman I didn't know.
She looked a bit older.
About... thirteen or so.
As I stared at the unfamiliar woman, Mother spoke first.
"Theodor, happy birthday. I wanted to celebrate big, but you insisted on something simple..."
"No, Mother. Thank you so much."
I didn't want more attention.
Thinking that, I gave Mother a slight bow,
"And we've prepared gifts."
Four people pulled out gifts briskly.
Lily sis, Ravire sis, and Isfil unwrapping packages.
"..."
Only Mother stood with arms crossed, smiling at me.
"..."
The others began opening theirs.
First, Lily sis.
She pulled out a small package.
Inside was a single small gem.
"This is a gem from the Tower Lord."
I see.
"The Tower Lord gave it to me."
"...Shouldn't you use it then, sis?"
"I like it better if you use it, Theo."
Lily sis smiled softly.
This needs returning to the Tower Lord.
Thinking that, I set the gift aside,
"Mine's from the Knight Commander!"
With a shing, a sword appeared before my eyes.
Turning, Ravire sis held a sword perfectly sized for me, looking my way.
"The Knight Commander gave it to me for you!"
Wouldn't that make it stolen goods if I used it?
And.
"..."
Isfil smiled shyly and handed me her gift.
Unwrapping it revealed a chalice.
"It's the Holy Grail."
What?
"Put water in it, and it turns to holy water."
"..."
This needs returning too.
I slowly set the gifts aside and turned to Mother.
She wouldn't come unprepared.
At that moment, my gaze naturally fell on the one woman here I didn't know.
The only stranger in the room.
Our eyes met,
and the girl smiled gently.
"This gift is..."
Mother declared confidently.
"This mom's sure it's the best one."
"..."
I stared silently at Mother, and she spoke first.
"Theo. Your seventh birthday gift is a human."