DDSWTB 52

Chapter 52

It was the day of Tiana Astaire’s ninth birthday celebration.

“Good morning, my lady,”
Mariana came to wake her up unusually early.

“Good morning… isn’t it earlier than usual today?”
Tiana thought sleepily.

“Today is your birthday, my lady. There’s a lot to prepare, so I woke you a bit earlier,”
Mariana explained.

“Today, we’ll make you especially beautiful and dazzling!”
Lucy said, her voice full of excitement.

“Happy birthday, my lady!”
All three maids chorused together to celebrate her.

“We picked out a present for you together!”
Lucy said proudly, showing the gift she had been hiding behind her back.

“Wow! A stuffed animal!”

The gift they had chosen was a large white rabbit plushie.

“We couldn’t afford anything expensive…”
Rose said a little apologetically.

“Hehe, it’s so soft and fluffy—thank you.”

It wasn’t common for servants to give gifts to their master, even on a birthday.
Even if it wasn’t something costly, receiving a heartfelt gift like this made her truly happy.

“I’m really, really happy!”

“We’re glad you liked it, my lady,”
Mariana smiled warmly.

“Today, I hear many prominent nobles will be attending your birthday party.”

Of course—since it was an event hosted by a ducal family, notable nobles were bound to come.
Perhaps they were also curious about the duke’s youngest daughter who had recently discovered a new theorem.
Or maybe they were lower-ranking nobles hoping to curry favor with the duke’s house.

Those who were there simply to celebrate her birthday were likely few.
It was true that everyone had their own motives.

Just like at the recent tea party, any noticeable behavior could be used against her.

Since many influential nobles would be present, she hoped at least to leave a good impression.

“My lady, how do you like it? You look especially lovely today,”
Mariana said, holding up a full-length mirror.

Wow…
Amazing. Her hair had been softly curled, adorned with scattered pearls.
The dress given by the Duke was clearly of high quality—so comfortable that it felt luxurious just to wear.
Though it looked dazzling and heavy, it was actually light enough to wear for hours without tiring her.

It seemed even her physical comfort had been thoughtfully considered.

The Duke actually has good taste.

“As today’s star, I put in extra effort, my lady,”
Rose added proudly.

“All the men there will fall head over heels for you!”
Lucy said with a laugh.

“Lucy! That’s no way to talk to the young lady!”

“I-I’m sorry!”

Hehe.
That was their usual routine. By now, seeing this scene once a day had become completely normal.

“My lady, the birthday presents from the nobles are in the next room—please take a look when you can.”

“They couldn’t fit in this room?”

“Well, there were so many that this room would’ve become too cramped, so we hurriedly moved them next door.”

Eh? Really?
So many gifts…
I guess everyone’s using this chance to try and get closer to us.