Chapter 10

I was in an excellent mood from the moment I woke up.

Because it was my birthday—and I had cake.

Even though a day had passed, the cake still tasted incredible. As I happily ate it, I made a firm decision.

After eating something delicious, the only proper thing to do was eat something else delicious.

I decided to use the invitation Oscar had given me yesterday.

I had originally planned to save it for later, but today was my birthday!

I had never properly celebrated my birthday even once.

I couldn’t remember ever hearing anyone say, “Happy birthday.” So Caitlin and Rieard must not have even known when my birthday was.

Of course, that didn’t mean the two of them didn’t care about birthdays.

They were incredibly diligent about celebrating each other’s birthdays.

Whenever they dressed up nicely and went out together for their birthdays, I would linger at the door for a long time before finally asking,

“Where are you two going?”

“It’s Rieard’s birthday today, so we’re going out for a meal.”

“What about me…?”

“Annabelle, can you afford to skip even a single day of training? If you want to defeat Ian Wadeiros, isn’t every minute and every second precious?”

“……”

“Be a good girl, my daughter. Just come in first place at the swordsmanship tournament. I’ll have dinner with you every day if you do.”

“……Yes.”

“It’s all because of Ian Wadeiros. If that bastard hadn’t beaten you, the three of us could have lived together much more happily.”

“That’s right, Annabelle. Your mother is right. It pains me that I can’t have dinner with you on my birthday, too. So somehow, defeat Ian Wadeiros.”

There had been a time when I believed that the reason I couldn’t be part of a happy family was all because of Ian.

So I thought there was no point in celebrating even my birthday until I defeated him.

No, I had thought that way right up until I recovered the memories of my previous life.

But now that I had gained an objective perspective and become a completely different person, I decided that I would celebrate my own birthday myself.

I had actually spent my birthday training because I thought even the time I could have spent celebrating was too precious to waste if I wanted to defeat Ian.

I really had been an idiot.

Even if Caitlin and Rieard didn’t celebrate me, my birth still had value.

“That’s strange. The Nadit mother and son always told us they enjoyed their birthday dinners at our restaurant’s main branch.”

According to Aaron, the place Caitlin and Rieard had gone without me was Rainfield Restaurant.

In that case, there was no reason I couldn’t celebrate my birthday there, too.

Rainfield Restaurant… It must be incredibly delicious.

It probably wouldn’t be as amazing as yesterday’s meal, which had been prepared personally by the head chef, but there was something reassuring about the standardized quality of a chain restaurant.

I don’t mind celebrating my birthday alone.

In the past, I had thought my birthday meant nothing unless I celebrated it with Caitlin and Rieard.

But I didn’t feel that way anymore.

I’m alone this year, but next year I’ll have a handsome man to celebrate with.

First, though, I had to be free by next year…

Phew.

One option was simply to flee abroad, but I was, after all, a famous second-place finisher in the Empire’s swordsmanship tournament.

Rather than running away to another country, the best solution was to somehow make use of my reputation without committing any crimes.

So, just like now, I had to keep saving Ian somehow while making absolutely sure I didn’t get entangled with him.

I couldn’t believe I had to pull off such a ridiculous mission…

It’s all my own karma.

The me from the past had willingly gone along with Rieard’s schemes, so there was no helping the fact that the me of today had to suffer for it.

As long as everything went according to plan, my future self would have a peaceful life.

“Hey, you.”

I was happily gathering my invitation and preparing to leave when Rieard, who was drinking tea in the drawing room, stopped me.

He must have bought new clothes, because he looked particularly well-dressed, and judging from the tin case on the table, the tea leaves inside had to be incredibly expensive.

He had never celebrated my birthday before.

Could it be that today was different?

“Where are you going? Aren’t you training? You’ve been really listless lately.”

“……Did you call me over just to say that?”

“Then what else would I have to say to you?”

I hadn’t expected anything, so I wasn’t disappointed.

But somehow, I was angry all over again.

I strode toward him.

“I have something to say.”

“What is it? Did Ian Wadeiros get hurt even a little?”

“No, not that. Give me some money.”

“……Huh?”

“When I was young, I gave you all my inheritance rights, remember? That’s why I don’t even have enough money to properly buy a new set of clothes. I have to rotate between the same two outfits every day.”

Rieard’s eyes wavered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

“I told you. Once you come in first place, I’ll give everything back to you.”

His voice was even gentle.

“But until then, you can’t let yourself get distracted by other things. You know very well that all the money we have was obtained thanks to you. So trust me and wait. Besides, this really is the last time, isn’t it?”

“I’m not getting distracted.”

“Going outside to buy clothes, making friends, buying food—that’s all getting distracted. Don’t think about anything else. Just train. It’s really only until the swordsmanship tournament. I’m not refusing to give you money. I’m managing things for your sake.”

“I don’t need that kind of management.”

“You’ll really be able to come in first this time. Then I’ll give everything back to you. For now, I can’t do it because I’m looking out for you.”

Once I came in first at the swordsmanship tournament, he would supposedly give everything back to me.

Until then, he was deliberately withholding money so I wouldn’t get distracted.

There was no way I believed him.

Should I just draw my sword right now and kill him, then inherit everything myself?

I considered it for a moment, but even then, the bond of being his last remaining blood relative managed to suppress my murderous impulse.

No matter how much of a complete jerk that man was, half of our blood was still shared. I couldn’t bring myself to kill him or leave him half-disabled.

Even in my previous life, I had been an orphan.

Rieard was genuinely trash, but he was still the only blood relative I had ever had in my entire life.

Of course, there was also my biological father, Marquis Abedes, and his two sons, but I didn’t even want to consider them family.

They had gone so far as to despise me.

Rieard only wanted to use me, but at least he acknowledged me as his younger sister.

But…

“……Rieard.”

I spoke while catching my breath.

“Do you know what day it is today?”

Rieard wouldn’t know.

This was the last chance I was giving him.

If he gives me the right answer here, I’ll just cut ties with him like I originally planned.

Rieard tilted his head for a moment before answering uncertainly,

“Hmm… Is it the day they announce the judges for the swordsmanship tournament? I thought that was next week.”

“……It’s my birthday.”

“Oh, is it?”

Rieard looked slightly surprised before smiling again.

“But you don’t have time to worry about birthdays right now, do you? The swordsmanship tournament is just around the corner. Your birthday will come around again next year, but this is your last chance at the tournament.”

“So that’s why you won’t even give me money?”

“What does a birthday matter? It’s just one of countless days. Let’s put all that aside until the tournament. Besides, we’ve planned everything so carefully that you can’t possibly lose this time.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Ian Wadeiros is left half-disabled somehow. We’ve only failed twice. There’s still a chance. In fact, we’ve already prepared another terrorist attack for tomorrow night. We’ve really put a lot of effort into this one.”

“Tomorrow night?”

I had been steadily accumulating anger at everything Rieard was saying, but that made me start in surprise.

“That’s right. I’ve already done all the groundwork. Remember that item I told you about? The one you happily agreed to help me with? I finally got my hands on it.”

So he’s planning to use that item tomorrow night…

Ha. All I can do is sigh.

“Then Ian Wadeiros will be finished.”

We’re the ones who’ll be finished, you idiot…

Since he had already laid the groundwork to harm Ian Wadeiros, I had to keep him alive and continue extracting information from him if I wanted to learn the exact date, time, and circumstances.

I didn’t even know who he was connected to, so I couldn’t simply cancel his plans.

Anyway, if he knew what he’d just let slip during this conversation, there was no way he’d be sitting there drinking tea so peacefully.

Cutting ties isn’t enough. Why should he get to have everything?

I couldn’t simply walk away and leave behind this beautiful house and all this wealth that I had never even gotten to enjoy.

If I had originally thought, Just eat your fill and get lost, now I didn’t even want to let him have that much.

At the very least, I was going to put an end to the comfortable life he had been enjoying alone by using me as his stepping stone.

If he’d only said Happy birthday to me, I might have been able to overlook a lot because he was my only family.

Just you wait.

That smug face of yours is going to be a thing of the past after the day of the swordsmanship tournament.

I’ll make sure you learn your lesson while dressed like a beggar.

I left the mansion without looking back.

Grinding my teeth and suppressing my desire for revenge against Rieard, I headed into the city.

When I was in a bad mood, I needed to eat something delicious.

Finding Rainfield Restaurant wasn’t difficult.

The moment I arrived downtown, I saw the words Rainfield, Branch No. 3 written across the largest and most elegant building in sight.

It was even Branch No. 3.

That meant there were Branch No. 1 and Branch No. 2 as well.

Oscar really made it big.

After once again gaining a newfound respect for his skill, I was just about to enter the restaurant when—

“Miss Annabelle?”

An unfamiliar man wrapped in a dark gray robe suddenly appeared and addressed me as if he knew me.

“Are you planning to eat alone?”

For a moment, I racked my brain, searching through every memory I had.

No matter how hard I thought about it, there was no man who would have any reason to speak to me so kindly.

Annabelle’s daily life consisted of one of two things: training or going to find Ian and causing a scene.

Naturally, she had never participated in any social activities and had no friends.

On top of that, Caitlin wasn’t exactly beloved by the people around her, so there weren’t even any adults who went out of their way to look after me.

“……Who are you?”

I narrowed my eyes warily.

The fact that he had completely concealed himself beneath a robe was suspicious enough on its own.

“I originally asked Ian to arrange a place for us, but he said it would be difficult.”

He swiftly removed his robe.

His round green eyes curved beautifully, and his silver hair shimmered in the sunlight.

People’s attention suddenly turned toward us.

“I am Robert Calburn Eliarope, whom you saved last night.”

P-Prince Robert?

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, he asked gently,

“If you don’t mind, would you like to have a meal with me?”