birthday

POV Lilia Helstea

Today is Eleonor's birthday, and my parents, along with hers, have organized a big surprise party in her honor. However, despite the joy I should be feeling, my mind can't stop thinking about Arthur. Ever since he made my dream—and my family's dream—come true by helping me form my mana core, I haven't been able to get him out of my head.

The waiters moved elegantly among the guests, offering various dishes and drinks. I, meanwhile, had been enjoying some glasses of juice while chatting with Leonor and her friends, whom I knew from the ladies' academy, though I had attended a few years earlier.

"Ahem! Before the party officially starts, I'd like to thank everyone, on behalf of my precious daughter, for coming here tonight!" announced Uncle Reynolds, addressing everyone present.

The hall filled with applause, especially loud from our group, where we were all excited for Eleonor's birthday, who couldn't help but blush.

After Uncle Reynolds' words, music began to play, creating a charming atmosphere.

"It would be such a joy to see my beloved son and daughter share the first dance!" Uncle Reynolds commented, prompting all the girls to cheer and encourage the idea.

At that moment, I noticed a flicker of panic and insecurity in Eleonor's eyes, but that concern faded when I saw Arthur approaching. With natural grace, he walked over to her and, with impeccable courtesy, invited her to dance.

My eyes didn't leave him. He was wearing an elegant black tuxedo that fit him perfectly, enhancing his attractiveness in a way I had rarely seen. Realizing my thoughts, I quickly shook my head, trying to push them away.

When they reached the center of the hall, people gathered around them in a circle as the soft music began to envelop the room. Arthur and Eleonor started dancing with a synchrony and elegance that captivated everyone present.

"Look, what a beautiful petal!" exclaimed one of the girls, drawing the attention of several people.

The petals, indescribably beautiful, danced in the air and approached the couple. Suddenly, some of them came together, and, under everyone's astonished gaze, an elegant hand emerged and took Eleonor's. Surprise was evident on her face, but in the next instant, the petals parted, revealing Alex's figure.

Alex wore a magnificent blue suit accompanied by his characteristic elegant stole. With an agile and confident gesture, he stole Eleonor from Arthur's arms, leading her into a new, thrilling dance that left everyone in awe.

This turn of events left everyone stunned, as Alex and Eleonor continued dancing with the same mastery as before. But now, with the music rising in volume and the beautiful petals floating around them, the scene transformed into an even more dazzling spectacle. It was as if what had happened earlier had merely been an introduction to the real dance.

"Ahhh!" The squeals of the girls beside me pulled me out of my stupor.

Looking around, I noticed everyone was engrossed in the dance. Many of the girls were blushing, enthralled by the scene before them—some with traces of envy in their eyes, others fascinated by Alex's action. Although quite sudden, Alex's intervention had captured everyone's attention, and I couldn't deny that the scene was truly enviable.

Suddenly, a gust of wind made the flower petals rise, floating gracefully before falling again. At that moment, Arthur reappeared, stealing Eleonor from Alex's arms and beginning to dance with her once more.

The dance transformed into a majestic competition, where both boys seemed to vie for the admiration of everyone present.

The rose petals turned into delicate flakes of ice, falling softly and creating a charming contrast with the warmth of the hall. The music intensified, and with it, the rivalry between Arthur and Alex.

Each of them tried to outshine the other, their movements becoming more elaborate and passionate. Arthur maintained a cheerful smile as radiant as the sun, spinning Eleonor around him in a move that seemed to defy gravity.

Alex, with a calm yet captivating smile, not wanting to be outdone, responded with a series of swift steps that culminated in a spectacular lift, holding Eleonor in the air for moments that felt eternal.

Though their movements were different, they shared a commonality: they both highlighted Eleonor, making her the centerpiece of the entire dance. The murmurs and squeals from the girls around me were constant; even I felt excited watching them dance, my heart pounding with each moment.

Finally, the music ceased, and with it, the dance came to an end. Arthur and Alex finished by kneeling before Eleonor, each holding a grand bouquet of roses—Arthur's were a deep, dazzling red, while Alex's were a profound, enchanting blue, each equally beautiful.

At the end, a wave of applause echoed throughout the hall, and I even heard a few whistles from the adults. I clapped as well, though my thoughts were still on the beautiful dance I had just witnessed. Soon, Eleonor hugged both Arthur and Alex and then returned to our group, her face aglow with radiant happiness.

"Wow! You're so lucky, Elli! You have two such handsome brothers—so jealous!" one of the girls said with a laugh.

"Hey, Elli, do you know if your brother Alex might want to dance again?" one of the girls asked, her face blushing.

"I'm so jealous! I wish my brother were like him. He seems so nice!" Nicol commented, as she watched the two boys greeting each other.

"When I didn't see Alex, I thought he wasn't going to come," another girl said, making the others nod in agreement.

"Hehe! I told you they were amazing! I never doubted for a second that either of them would show up!" Elli replied proudly, hugging her two bouquets of roses tightly.

Hearing her, I couldn't help but smile, since I had caught her more than once searching the crowd for her second brother.

*****

POV Alea Triscan.

"Are you ready?" I asked, glancing towards the door of a small pastry shop.

"Yes," Aya replied, lifting a small bag. "This is a new chocolate recipe that Miss Laurent released this month. I tried it a few days ago, and it's delicious. I'm sure Alex will like it."

"Oh, then I'll have to try it too when I can," I said, eyeing the small chocolate cake inside the bag before looking back at her. "Did you manage to find out where he's staying?"

"I haven't asked. The missions sent by Lord Virion have kept me quite busy," she said, shaking her head. "But we shouldn't worry about that. When he left, he said he was going to live with Arthur and the family that raised him, so they should be together. Besides, it seems it was his little sister's birthday recently, and he was seen there."

"Yes, if I remember correctly, Arthur's parents should be living at the Helstea mansion, so he should be there," I commented, pondering it.

With an idea of where we needed to go, we both headed towards the Helstea mansion to see little Alex.

"Do you think he remembers his birthday?" I asked, smiling.

"Knowing him, he even forgot the day of his investiture, so I'd say it's likely he forgot this too," Aya said with a laugh. "At least he remembers to send us letters now and then, telling us how he's doing."

"That's probably true, but I think they'd celebrate it for him. Even if Arthur might forget, the rest of the family would surely remember," I said thoughtfully.

"At least I don't think we'll be too late," she said, looking at the horizon, where the sun was slowly setting. "Besides, the way things are going, we'll probably be even busier in the coming months."

Hearing her, I couldn't help but sigh. Recently, strange objects have been found deep inside caves where no adventurer had ever ventured before, which is a clear indication that some of them have reached the continent.

Shaking my head, I decided not to think about it for the moment. Changing the subject, Aya and I walked, and soon we arrived at the residence of the Helstea family.

Knock, knock.

"I'm coming!" called a hurried voice, and moments later, a maid of the house opened the door. "Excuse me, how can I help you...?" But before she could finish, she froze for a moment, then spoke in a nervous tone. "Ladies Lances, please come in. I'll quickly call the master of the house to receive you."

"There's no need..." But before I could finish, the maid had already hurried away.

Noticing this, I could only sigh, and Aya and I entered the house, sitting on one of the large couches. The mansion was beautiful and welcoming, with warm lighting and decorated with various gold-plated items.

"Did you notice?" Aya whispered to me as she sat down beside me.

"Yes," I replied, looking around.

Upon arriving, I quickly noticed that the atmosphere of the place was calm, with no signs of any celebration. Even if Alex had forgotten his birthday, there would be some trace of a small party if it had been celebrated. Moreover, I couldn't sense Alex's mana signature in the house, which was odd.

"Do you think he went out to celebrate with Arthur?" I asked, doubtful.

"Let's hope that's the case," Aya said, frowning. "But everything will be clear once we ask."

Soon, Mr. Helstea, along with his wife, arrived hurriedly in the sitting room, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Leywin.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting," said Mr. Helstea, slightly out of breath from hurrying over.

"Don't worry, we're the ones who came unannounced," Aya said with a calm smile. "We've come to see little Alex to give him a birthday present. The last time we saw him, he said he was going back home with Arthur and his family, so we thought he would be staying here."

When Aya finished speaking, I noticed how all four of them tensed slightly. I also saw Miss Alice's gaze, along with her husband's, grow dim and more complicated. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Helstea seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"He's not living here, is he?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Upon hearing my question, Mr. Helstea shook his head.

"About three years ago, young Alex arrived home with Arthur, but a few days later, he decided he wanted to become an adventurer like Arthur—though he left a little earlier," Mr. Helstea said, trying to ease the tension. "And from time to time, he would return to visit little Eleonor, but once he mentioned that due to some royal family activities, he couldn't stay and live here."

Aya and I frowned upon hearing that. It was quite clear to us that neither Mr. Virion nor Mr. Alduin would send Alex to carry out royal family activities, and not even Miss Tessia had such duties.

Even if she did, anyone who knew Alex even a little would know that he would be far too lazy to take them on, and despite everything, he would still find time to return home to be with his family. The excuse about royal family duties was very transparent.

"Three years ago? If I'm not mistaken, at that time young Alex would have been a little over nine years old. In fact, if it was just a few weeks after their return, it means he hadn't even turned nine yet," I commented, without realizing my voice was growing increasingly serious.

"Oh, young Arthur became an adventurer? That's great! Who accompanied him?" Aya asked in her gentle voice, with small mana fluctuations emanating from her words.

"One of our companions from the Twin Horns group decided to accompany him," Mr. Reynolds responded.

"Oh, and who accompanied young Alex?" I asked as Aya's magic continued to take effect.

But unlike before, there was silence between them; obviously, they didn't know. Noticing this, I couldn't help but feel a bit angry.

"So, you're telling me that after seeing everyone again, young Alex became an adventurer at not even nine years old, and that he wasn't accompanied by anyone to watch over him? Meaning he traveled alone to dungeons dangerous enough for over two years?" I said, letting my irritation show.

Hearing the silence in the room, I felt truly infuriated. Why would he leave home just days after arriving? Anyone could see that he was just as eager to return to the people who raised him as Arthur was. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't make sense—especially knowing Alex's character: how overprotective and loving he was towards his family and those close to him.

Suddenly, an idea crossed my mind.

"How did young Alex arrive at the house the first time, when he returned with Arthur?" I asked.

"He came in a white suit with a stole draped over his left shoulder," Alice responded mechanically, her voice shaky.

"Did he have any adornment on it or a crown on his head?" I asked again, while Aya observed the situation closely. Though she seemed calm, I could easily tell she was also upset.

"No," they both said, shaking their heads.

Hearing this, I couldn't help but frown. I thought it might be related to his coronation as a prince or that the way he arrived led them to treat him differently, but apparently, that wasn't the case.

"When did you learn about his true identity?" Aya asked this time.

There was a silence in the air before Alice replied. "A little before they returned, when I asked Arthur about Alex, he told me that he was apparently the nephew of the Elven King and that his investiture would be soon."

Hearing this, many of my questions were answered. I was angry, but not with them—instead, I could say I was disappointed. Still, there was a part of me that tried to understand them.

"Thank you very much for answering," Aya said in a monotone voice before standing up. "We'll be leaving now."

I also rose from my seat calmly. There was no need for us to stay here any longer.

"Miss Alice, Mr. Reynolds, before I leave, let me tell you that before returning, young Alex was offered many times the opportunity to stay in Elenoir, living with the royal family," I said before pausing to sigh. "But he refused every time, always saying that he had to return to his parents because they surely missed him. He also said he couldn't leave his younger brother alone and that he wanted to meet his new little sister, who was about to be born. So, I hope you can reflect on that."

After that, both of us left the Helstea mansion, which now held an uncomfortable atmosphere inside.