Uncelebrated Birthdays
The duke had never once attended Abigail Carpoem's birthday party.
Her birthday coincided with the anniversary of the late duchess's death. For that reason, the duke would lock himself away in the master bedroom he had once shared with his wife, refusing to emerge all day. As a result, Abigail's birthday celebrations had always been mere formalities, with no one offering her genuine well-wishes.
It was around that time, after her nursemaid left and Abigail grew even more venomous, that she began to change. Desperate to compensate for the affection she never received, she plunged into extravagance, throwing lavish parties nearly every day. She acted as if the duke no longer needed to attend, but inside, she was rotting away more with each passing moment.
I was now facing the festering wounds of that Abigail.
"Lady Abigail, are you all right?"
Serrian Sinus gazed down at me with a worried expression. Perhaps because eight years had passed, he looked more aged than the Serrian in my memories. He'd become the commander now. Back then, he was just the vice-commander. It felt like reuniting with an old friend.
"Long time no see. How've you been?"
I flashed a bright smile, but Serrian furrowed his elegant brow.
"Are you truly all right? You looked like you were in pain."
"Nah, I'm fine now."
I smiled even wider to reassure him, but Serrian didn't drop his suspicious gaze.
"Please don't brush it off—return to the mansion and get examined..."
"I said I'm fine. Ser, you've gotten even more nagging since the old days."
"Haa... Why did you come here of all places?"
"Just ended up wandering this way on my walk."
It wasn't a lie. I had been out for a stroll, and even after Annie told me straight ahead was the training grounds, I hadn't stopped.
"Since I'm here, mind if I take a look around the training grounds?"
I got to the point, eyes sparkling.
"This isn't a place for you to visit, my lady."
"Then what kind of place is suitable for me?"
"Well..."
Serrian had always been weak to Abigail's whims. Back when he guarded her as a child, she'd dragged him around endlessly. The young Abigail had been full of mischief, constantly pranking him—playing hide-and-seek in the mansion, shoving bugs at him despite his disgust, all sorts of silly antics that left him flustered. I hadn't done those things myself, but thinking about it made me burst out laughing.
"Anyway, no. Please return to the mansion."
"Why should I?"
In this ducal territory, there was nothing I couldn't do. I was Abigail Carpoem—the duke's one and only daughter, the highest-ranking woman in the empire aside from the imperial family. If I wanted something, it had to happen.
"Ser, even you can't defy my orders. You know that, right?"
"..."
"Ser?"
After a moment of silence, Serrian spoke.
"Understood."
With no choice, he began leading the way.
"This way, please."
I followed, glancing back. Annie and a few maids were fidgeting anxiously behind us. I addressed the maids except Annie.
"Annie, come with me. The rest of you, get back to your rooms before the flowers wilt."
"Yes, miss."
The maid holding the flowers in Annie's stead and the others exchanged glances, then backed away cautiously. Feeling lighthearted, I followed Serrian with Annie in tow.
He guided me to a platform overlooking the training grounds. From up there, the vast expanse came into full view. The grounds were precisely divided into three sections, one for each knight order. This spot allowed a clear view of all three.
"Please stay here."
"Got it."
I scanned the grounds curiously. The knights lined up front had all turned their gazes toward me and Serrian. Eyes that should have been on him alone now fixed on me after my arrival. It was a bit overwhelming, but bearable—after all, I was staring back at them with equal curiosity.
"Attention, all."
The slightly rowdy grounds fell deathly silent at his command. The disciplined knights shut their mouths in unison. For such a beautiful face, he had tremendous presence. Even I, standing right behind him, flinched and looked at Serrian anew.
"Today's training will be observed by Lady Abigail."
He continued calmly.
"Practice more rigorously than usual."
"Yes, sir!"
The knights' resounding reply echoed across the grounds. Up on the platform, it was just me and Serrian. The duke must be too ill to oversee training, so Serrian, commander of the 1st Knight Order Spina, was clearly in overall charge.
"Training commences now. Each order, begin as instructed."
The knights at the front bowed their heads. Their seasoned faces marked them as the commanders of each order. They turned and issued orders. With daily routines, they seemed to follow a fixed schedule.
I watched from the platform for a while. Serrian observed from above, relaying instructions to the vice-commander whenever he spotted shortcomings. His handsome profile was utterly serious.
How was Serrian in the original story? I recalled the novel's events.
He appeared there too, as the North's 1st Knight Order commander. At first, he clashed most fiercely with the crown prince. Even after the duke's death, his unwavering loyalty to the Carpoem family set him on a collision course with the prince. His vice-commander even betrayed him, siding with the prince. True to his steadfast nature, he served the duke to the end, but like Abigail, it didn't end well for him. The novel didn't detail it, but I think it said he lost an arm in battle and left the North.
A bitter taste filled my mouth. I resolved to ensure not just my own future, but Serrian's comfortable retirement as well.
"Lady Abigail, aren't you hot?"
"Huh? Nah, I'm good."
I gave him a sweet smile. His expression turned odd—he must have expected me to start whining and leave soon. But I was growing fonder of the place by the minute. Despite the sweltering heat, the knights trained diligently, sweat pouring down.
It naturally reminded me of the kendo I used to do as a hobby. I'd started late in life but earned plenty of praise from the dojo master. He'd joked that I'd have been even better if I'd begun earlier. Swinging a heavy bamboo sword was grueling—you had to run around constantly, and even slight movements left you drenched and overheated. Still, kendo melted away all my stress. Oddly, I was the type who needed to move to unwind.
That's why, watching the training knights, I called out to Serrian in a subtle tone.
"Hey, Ser."
"Yes?"
I beamed at him extra wide and dropped the bomb.
"I want to train with them too."
"Pardon? How could you, my lady...? Have you even held a wooden sword before?"
"That's why I want to try it now."
"Absolutely not. No way."
Annie, fidgeting beside me, chimed in to stop me.
"Y-yes, miss. It's far too dangerous."
"Hmm."
Still, I really wanted to try. I smacked my lips in disappointment. Annie looked terrified I'd charge into the knights and cause chaos any second. Fair enough—for the old Abigail, swapping extravagance for swordplay might lead to some insane display of talent.
"Then if I get permission, it's fine, right?"
"Pardon?"
Serrian blinked blankly.
"Permission from whom?"
"The master of this place, obviously."
And your master. Adrian Carpoem. My father.
"If Father says yes?"
I looked at Serrian and Annie triumphantly. The more I thought about it, the more considerate I seemed. I could just do it anyway, but no—I was going to ask properly.
Yet their faces looked strange.
"If the duke would even..."
"He might faint from shock..."
"..."
What? Learning the sword was enough to make the duke collapse?
To break off my engagement with the crown prince, I needed a solid reason. If I learned the sword and showed potential, I might even become the duke's heir. Not guaranteed, of course.
"Just watch! I'll get permission and start sword training tomorrow!"
I declared confidently.
The next day, I fumed at the maid's report that my visit had been refused.
"Why! Why on earth!"
"I-I don't know either..."
"Ah, not mad at you."
I cleared up her misunderstanding curtly and turned away. Annie promptly handed me some lemonade, as if waiting.
Gulp, gulp—the cold, sweet drink soothed my heated throat a bit.
"Haa, thanks."
"Another glass?"
"Yeah."
Annie seemed to know my tastes even better now. Unlike the fickle old Abigail, I was clear about what I liked and disliked.
Hugging the fluffy cushion she'd given me, I grumbled.
"I just can't understand it. Why keep refusing my visits?"
The duke rarely rejected Abigail's requests to see him. Out of habit, I gnawed at my nails—something I'd done a lot before possessing this body.
Annie, hesitating, spoke up.
"Miss, you'll ruin your nails like that."
"Huh?"
I looked down at my ragged nails. The once perfectly manicured ones belonging to Abigail were a mess.
Ah...
My mind snapped alert. The real Abigail Carpoem wouldn't be stupidly chewing her nails. She'd bulldoze her way to getting what she wanted.
Thinking of her, I shot up from my seat.
"Where's Father right now?"
"Shall I say you'll visit again?"
"No."
Even if she did, it'd be refused. Why bother?
"Just find out where he is. I'll go to him."
"But..."
Annie hesitated but bowed her head at my glare and slipped out.
He was probably in his office at this hour, but maybe not. The ducal residence was huge—if I didn't know where, I'd never find him. And if our paths crossed wrong, it'd be a hassle. Well, even so, the frail duke wouldn't have gone far.