The predicament was undeniable. By the time we arrived at the Ducal House, I still had no clue what the present I had supposedly prepared was.
“I’ll be talking with the Duke.”
Millium stepped out of the carriage and took out his watch, the ticking echoing softly. He read the time and said, “Meet me here in 42 minutes. If you’re late again, I’ll leave without you.” Without waiting for a reply, he stepped away with measured strides, almost inhuman in his precision.
As I contemplated this, the Isakhael family’s butler approached me. The experienced old butler greeted me politely.
“Welcome, sir. Are you here to celebrate Lady Bella’s birthday?”
I silently extended my left hand, showing him the black onyx ring adorned with the Ruelberta family’s emblem, a black lion. It was a symbol of our house, and often served as a form of identification among the empire’s nobility.
The old butler’s face lit up at the sight of the ring.
“Oh! You’re from the Ruelberta family! Welcome! We’ve been expecting you!”
Huh?
“Pleased to meet you. I am Bastien, the chief butler here. I will personally escort you to the lady.”
Hmm?
The butler seemed overly excited, which was strange. Usually, the Ruelberta name was enough to make people wary, given its notorious reputation. Why would they welcome a member of a family known for its cursed lineage and untimely deaths of its heads, not to mention the current head, Millium, being a known eccentric?
I decided to follow Bastien silently. He led me through the massive mansion to the back, where a beautifully adorned garden awaited. It looked like a scene from spring, and in the midst of it, a tea party was being held by nobles around my age.
“…What are those kids doing?”
“Oh, they are guests invited for Lady Bella’s birthday. They are enjoying a banquet there.”
I was also an invited guest, wasn’t I?
Reading my confusion, Bastien explained with a smile, “That’s the ‘waiting room’.”
“Waiting room?”
“Yes. They are all waiting for their ‘turn’. But you, Lord Tristan, needn’t go there.”
Before I could ask what he meant, I felt stares from the garden. The nobles there looked at me with jealousy, envy, inferiority, and even hatred.
‘…What?’
My puzzlement was short-lived as Bastien opened the back door.
“Please come in.”
Entering, I received hostile looks from the nobles, feeling oddly privileged yet uneasy. Inside, an extravagant room awaited me, like one prepared for a special guest, adorned with gold and luxurious wooden furniture.
I realized then the cause of my unease since arriving: the mansion was excessively luxurious, even for the Ruelberta family. It indicated the Isakhael family’s prosperity during this era.
At the time I was incarnated into this world, the Isakhael family was impoverished, barely maintaining their ducal status. Their subservience to Tristan was due to a massive debt. Tristan held their fate in his hands, which also forced Bella into an arranged engagement with him.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
Left alone in the opulent room, my attention was drawn to a mountain of gifts in the center. There must have been hundreds of boxes, giving the impression of a surreal Christmas. But these were birthday presents for Bella.
Curiously, I noticed one torn gift box with a plain teddy bear poking out. I picked it up, realizing it was the cheapest gift in the room.
+
Name: Cheap Teddy Bear.
Description: Made from low-quality cotton and scraps of fabric. Though crude, it would be beloved by infants.
Valuation: 5,000 Cael.
+
The gift for the Ducal Lady’s birthday was far too humble and unbecoming. Who would bring such a gift? However, my wonderings were cut short.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Tristan.”
I put down the teddy bear and turned around to see a young girl with twin braids and silver hair standing there.
“After ignoring all my personal invitations, what wind brings you here this time?”
“…I came only to celebrate your birthday.”
Her sapphire-like eyes sparkled, her model-like legs stretched out. Except for her young age, she was the spitting image of Bella Isakhael.
But there was a difference.
“Hehe. Are you using that as an excuse to see me?”
Bella giggled. Her smile was far from the cliff flower’s distance, and…
“Normally on my birthday, many men come and go without seeing me, just leaving gifts.”
…not of a noble saintess.
“So, be grateful. Someone as beautiful as me is meeting you.”
Just a bratty girl, confident only in her beauty. Her gaze, which used to scorn me as the ‘pig duke,’ was now filled with what looked like love.
Suddenly, I realized something. At this time, Bella didn’t harbor ill feelings towards Tristan. She even seemed to have a fondness for him.
Shocked by this hidden backstory I wasn’t aware of, I was speechless. Bella, changing the subject, said,
“Ahem, so what are you doing? It’s my birthday today. Hurry up and congratulate me.”
Bella extended her hand, obviously expecting a gift. I didn’t particularly feel like giving one, but I had to proceed with the story.
“Alright…”
With resolve, I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out something, offering it to Bella.
Her brow furrowed upon seeing it.
“What’s this?”
“A blank cheque.”
It was a simple deduction. The only thing I could offer at the moment.
“Do you think I’m asking because I don’t know!? Why would you give me this?”
“It’s my gift.”
“…Are you joking right now?”
“I’m serious.”
Bella, incredulous, responded,
“Tristan, a gift is something given with heartfelt sincerity.”
“I am giving it with my sincere heart.”
“This looks like a bribe…!”
Hmm. Is that so? Bella, still annoyed, threw the cheque back at me.
“I refuse this gift. Though Ruelberta may be wealthy, Isakhael is not far behind. Do you think our family is begging?”
I almost agreed but held back. I felt sorry for her family, destined to become impoverished. She didn’t know yet, but her family was already drowning in debt.
“Can’t help it if the gift isn’t to your liking.”
I decided to gracefully step back. She didn’t accept the gift, but it should suffice for moving the story along. However, Bella had a triumphant attitude.
“Hehe. Don’t lie. You think I didn’t see?”
“…?”
Confused, I saw Bella holding up the teddy bear I had touched earlier.
“Disappointed, Tristan? You hid it because it’s too shabby for a gift? I guess no one would think it’s from Ruelberta.”
“…”
I was at a loss for words. But Bella seemed pleased with my silence.
“Shy, are you? You’re really cute, Tristan.”
She touched my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. The present Bella would never act this way.
No, it wasn’t Bella who was strange. It was young Tristan, a boy with devilish charm.
I looked at the clock. “It’s time. I should go.”
I wanted to leave as soon as possible. Dealing with this princess-syndrome-stricken young Bella was quite a trial.
Surprisingly, Bella let me go easily.
“Okay. Hehe. I saw a lot of good in you today, Tristan.”
Her charming smile was indeed that of the young Bella Isakhael. I shrugged and turned to walk away.
Then, from behind, Bella asked,
“Wait, what’s the name of this teddy bear?”
I had never thought about it. I was about to say any random name when something strange happened.
As if under a spell, only one name circled in my mind. I uttered it out loud.
“It’s Dmitri.”
oh