Michelle's Birthday
A few days before the party, we found ourselves in a rather serious dilemma over what birthday gift to give Michelle. After all, she was the young lady of the Marquis family that commanded the North; showing up with something half-hearted simply wasn’t an option.
Yet our worries were dashed in an instant by a single message from the envoy dispatched by the Marquis household.
“Lady Michelle asked me to convey to Lady Iris that she has no need for empty formalities such as birthday gifts. She requests that you bring only your sword.”
Bring a sword to a birthday party. It was a request truly worthy of Valerius—the bloodline of a martial house.
And then the day of the party arrived. The banquet hall overflowed with nobles adorned in lavish, extravagant dresses. Even amid that crowd, Iris standing at my side drew every eye.
She wore the navy silk dress she had received from the legacy of the Golden Scales. Its elegant lines accentuated only the curves of her body, free of gaudy ornamentation, and it matched her usual upright, icy image perfectly.
“You’ve come, Iris.”
At that moment, Michelle approached us in a brilliant red dress that blazed like living flame.
“A navy dress—how very like you. Sir Sian, please come in as well.”
“Happy birthday. We really did come empty-handed, just as you asked. Is that all right?”
Iris asked with a strangely tense expression. The corner of Michelle’s mouth curved upward. Her gaze never once drifted toward me; it remained locked solely on Iris.
“Iris, I’ll tell you what I truly want as a gift a little later.”
With that meaningful remark, Michelle spun on her heel and left.
The true nature of the “real gift” she had mentioned was revealed in the middle of the banquet, once the festivities were in full swing. In the center of the hall where all the nobles’ attention was focused, Michelle suddenly stepped in front of Iris.
“For my birthday present, spar with me right here. That is my gift.”
A sudden hush fell over the party hall where music had been playing moments before. Iris narrowed her brows, visibly reluctant.
“You want to cross blades on a day like today? While we’re both wearing dresses?”
“If these cumbersome things get in the way, I can simply tear them off.”
Michelle’s eyes were dead serious. Realizing there was no changing her mind, Iris let out a short sigh and finally nodded.
Soon the center of the banquet hall was cleared, and servants brought two wooden practice swords. The sight of two noble ladies in beautiful dresses facing each other with blades in hand was a spectacle that captured every gaze.
“Here I come!”
Taht—!
Michelle kicked off the ground first and charged. The flashy, aggressive sword style unique to House Valerius rained down on Iris without pause. But to my eyes, Iris’s movements looked strangely lax.
Clang—! Clang!
Iris merely deflected the lethal strikes with light touches, focusing entirely on defense. Since today was Michelle’s birthday and countless nobles were watching, she seemed to be adjusting her strength to let her opponent save face.
But the person actually crossing blades with her was hardly unaware of it. The moment Michelle noticed those tiny concessions and courtesies, her face flushed crimson with rage.
“Iris! Do you mean to insult my sword with this pathetic half-heartedness?!”
“Michelle, today is your—”
“Fight me seriously! Give it everything you have!!”
At that fierce roar, Iris’s eyes chilled like ice.
“Understood.”
Paht—!
Iris stamped the floor. The hem of her navy dress fluttered through the air.
“Kh?!”
Speed and raw power on an entirely different level from before. The wooden sword that had been purely defensive now surged like a wild beast, tearing into Michelle’s blind spots and hammering her relentlessly.
Craaang—!!
The heavy blow made Michelle’s grip tremble violently. She tried to pull her sword back in panic, but it was already too late.
Claaaang—!!
The hand holding the practice sword flew back sharply, and Michelle’s stance completely collapsed. Exactly ten exchanges. The tip of Iris’s wooden blade rested against Michelle’s chest.
“…I lost.”
Michelle accepted her defeat cleanly. The two women sheathed their practice swords before the gathered nobles and bowed to each other with perfect courtesy. The hall, which had been wrapped in silence, erupted into thunderous applause.
At that moment, Marquis Valerius, who had been watching from afar, approached with a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! That was truly an excellent match. The Hero’s disciple is magnificent. It has been a long time since I saw my daughter pushed back so completely in a single breath.”
“You flatter us.”
I gave a light bow and offered an appropriate polite reply.
“Since Lady Michelle is the star of today’s celebration, it seems she was a bit nervous with so many eyes upon her.”
“Humble as well, I see.”
My answer must have pleased him; the Marquis smiled warmly.
“When you have time, let us spar as well. I shall be waiting.”
He gave my shoulder a light pat, then left to deal with the other nobles who were flocking toward him.
Once the Marquis had moved away, Iris—after exchanging brief greetings with Michelle—walked straight back to me. Her face was coldly expressionless, but the eyes of a victorious disciple were clearly waiting for her master’s praise.
“Well done. That was sudden, yet you handled it perfectly.”
I gently stroked Iris’s shoulder.
“The way you tried to show consideration for your opponent at the beginning was excellent too.”
The moment my praise landed, Iris’s rigid mask melted away. She gave a small, satisfied, and affectionate smile—careful that no one else might see.
“Thank you, Master.”
A warm, harmonious atmosphere flowed between Iris and me. Then I felt a gaze and turned my head. Far away, Michelle was staring intently in our direction. She was surrounded by countless young ladies and noble guests offering congratulations, yet her eyes remained fixed solely on us.
By the time the banquet ended and the nobles began boarding their carriages one by one to leave, Iris and I were about to head back to our own estate when a servant from the Marquis household approached and informed us that Michelle had summoned us.
“The young lady asked if you could wait a moment.”
Michelle, who had been attending to the last of the guests, finally came over.
“Sir Sian. It is already late—why don’t you stay the night at our estate? I would like to continue the conversation with Iris that we couldn’t finish.”
Before answering, I glanced at Iris. Her eyes wavered for a brief second before she offered a light smile.
“Iris seems fine with it, so we gratefully accept your kindness.”
Once permission was given, the servants began moving busily. Michelle and Iris disappeared down the far end of the corridor, while I was guided to a luxurious private guest room reserved for honored visitors.
The moment I entered the room, I shed my cumbersome outer coat and leaned back on the sofa.
“We shall attend to your bath, Hero.”
Maids who had been waiting somewhere nearby approached and bowed, but I waved them off lightly.
“I’m tired and wish to rest. It’s fine—everyone withdraw.”
The maids quietly left the room. I was finally about to enjoy some peaceful rest when—
Knock, knock.
“Who is it?”
“Come in.”
The door opened. This time it was not the maids. A rather pretty maid with a seductive aura entered the room alone.
“What is it? I believe I said I required no attendance.”
“I… I have come to ‘serve’ the honored guest through the night.”
The maid blushed as she approached, deliberately revealing the deep cleavage of her dress. A faint trace of perfume lingered in her breath.
So she was a maid exclusively for night service.
“I don’t need it. Leave immediately.”
“B-but…”
The maid hesitated in confusion, but my firm attitude finally sent her scurrying out of the room as if fleeing.
Looks like that daughter sent her.
“Probably. The Marquis knows me well enough not to pull something like this.”
After the duel ended, she kept staring holes through you. Hmm… but when I checked, she wasn’t a compatible partner?
“She might just want to become my disciple.”
Well, the previous Heroes also had married women, young ladies, and maids sneaking into their rooms every night and causing trouble.
“Compared to that, sending a maid as a night gift because she wants to become my disciple is actually kind of cute.”
I shrugged off the nighttime incident with a chuckle and greeted the morning.
The splendid breakfast table was defined by the stark contrast between the two women. Iris, seated beside me, had faint shadows under her eyes—clearly exhausted from enduring Michelle’s endless chatter all night. Her face showed obvious fatigue.
In contrast, Michelle sitting across from us wore a bright, satisfied smile as if she had enjoyed a most fulfilling night. Her gaze clung exclusively to Iris.
“Iris, you look very tired. So stay one more day.”
Michelle kept speaking to the silent Iris.
“I’ll order desserts from the most famous patisserie in the capital this afternoon. Let’s have another cup of tea together before you go, okay?”
To me, it was obvious she was trying to keep Iris in the estate by any means. Iris, suppressing her exhaustion, shook her head firmly.
“Thank you for the thought, but I must decline. Training with Master resumes today, so we need to return.”
At the razor-sharp refusal, Michelle’s bright expression froze solid in an instant. Her target immediately switched to me.
“Sir Sian. Iris didn’t sleep a wink last night because she was talking with me. She looks so tired—wouldn’t it be better to let her rest another day?”
Her polite tone was packed with resentment. But before I could even answer, Michelle—fearing I might refuse outright—suddenly brightened with an idea. Her face said she had just thought of the perfect excuse.
“Ah! Then how about conducting the training at our family’s training grounds? If I personally spar with Iris, the training effect would be much better, wouldn’t it?”
Her true intention was to keep Iris here and insert herself into the mix.
Using Iris as an excuse to learn from me is becoming completely blatant.
Considering she had even sent a woman to my room last night, she must be quite desperate for my teachings.
“Well, I don’t mind. Iris, what do you think?”
The moment my words left my mouth, Iris answered without a second’s hesitation, mercilessly.
“No. We will return as planned.”
When Iris pushed her chair back, clearly intending to leave without regret, the panicked Michelle slammed her hands on the table with a loud bang and shot to her feet.
“W-wait! Then… then I want to become Sir Sian’s disciple as well!”
“…What?”
“A-actually, I have admired Sir Sian greatly for a long time! Please accept me as your disciple!”
Iris, who had been rising from her seat, froze completely. The eyes that had been hazy with exhaustion sharpened in an instant, clear and piercing.