Chapter 53 - Meet the Millicent's

The Millicent's aren't only well-known and distinguished in terms of their achievements and contributions in various fields, but they're also famed for all the exquisite social gatherings they host.

With that said, the party venue is jaw-droppingly opulent just as everyone expected. 

The celebration is presently being held at the spacious courtyard of the mansion. Said residence turns out to be a palatial French country house with cream-colored wall exteriors that match the roadway leading to its entrance gate.

The place is as grandiose as the ones in Versailles, France or those in Loire Valley, but it still has this humble ambiance that seems to be enough to say that the mansion holds a number of cultural and historical interactions.

Just beyond the intricate copper gates, a garden full of roses and hanging lanterns would come into view. There are several tables neatly arranged all around the grassy ground along with long rectangular ones on the inclined hill.

The setting is only but the tip of the iceberg, though. Those who are currently occupying the space are the real deal.

Ranging from fellow affluent figures to prominent personalities and celebrities, all the visitors in the birthday party are of prestige and class. Reputable families were invited, and many of them were the relatives of the celebrant's friends and schoolmates.

However, the thirteen-year-old boy appears to be far from thrilled despite the amicable smile on his face. As he sits on the chair on top of a slightly elevated platform at the front of the venue - surrounded by a mountain of presents and some other party decors all the while, he just continues to watch the blindingly dazzling scene before him in silence.

Unlike the guests who all appear to be thoroughly enjoying the luxuries of his extravagant birthday party, he finds it not entertaining at all.   

"Damien..." called Edward as soon as he noticed his son's strange silence.

"Aren't you enjoying the party so far? Your brothers and your friends are waiting for you to get down there." 

"Give me a break, Dad. I just finished talking with the a.d.u.l.ts a minute ago. It was really tiring..." huffed the teen, his smile drooping a little in exhaustion.   

"They all speculate that I'm going to be taking engineering like you. Why were they even talking about college already? I just turned thirteen today." 

His son really resembles him whenever he complains. Although he got most of his features from his deceased mother, including his ebony black hair, the hidden depth of his bluebell eyes reminds him of himself when he's younger.

As the eldest among his three sons, Damien often displays a level of maturity that makes him appear not his age. While most others commend him for being a promising Millicent, Edward knows that it's just his facade. He's aware that he's only acting every time he's in front of people.

History is simply repeating itself, though - generation after generation, everyone in the family is restrained from showing their true self.

"I see... Rest for now, then. Come down to our table for dinner right after," Edward gently ordered while patting his head before eventually taking his leave.

Despite his concerns, he can't help his sons escape their future obligations. Just like him and his siblings, they have to learn as early as now. Suppressing one's emotions is an important part of their training to grow, especially in a world where social masks are an eternal trend. 

"I prefer a quiet dinner by myself, though. Everyone is so loud over there," Damien silently thought as he stared at his family's table from a distance.

He can see his ever stern and austere grandmother looking affable for once. Gertrude is presently engaging in quite a lively conversation with some of the visitors. Judging by her congenial front alone, he can tell that these people are of equal standing with their family.

She's only pleasantly sociable like this in front of those with power, after all. 

"This is my birthday, but I can't even recognize a lot of faces here. Grandmother and my aunts probably invited their acquaintances..." he mumbled to himself - his annoyed tone betraying the small smile on his face.     

"As for Aunt Irish and Aunt Olivia... Oh, Ms. Sophie got them."

As Damien scans the crowd for his two aunts, he finds them talking with a certain woman he really doesn't like crossing paths with. Sophie may have a benign personality on the outside, but he already did enough sneaking around in Adrian's office to see her true colors. Since Edward would sometimes take him there, he got a chance to see it once in broad daylight.

It just happened that Damien found this woman seducing his uncle who's already supposed to be married.

"Though I did try to tell the a.d.u.l.ts about her, they never listened. Then again, when did they ever listen? Even Dad wouldn't..."   

Feeling more and more peeved, the teen just chose to focus on his aunts and save his remaining coolheadedness. The night is still young, and the party is only halfway through, after all. He really wished it didn't rain so he could go to bed already. 

"My aunts look as gorgeous as ever, I see... A shame that they can't settle with a husband already." 

Though a bit older than Adrian, the fraternal twins look so youthful and incredibly beauteous. Irish is this elegant brunette with hazel brown eyes while her twin sister, Olivia, is a charming blonde with the same eye color. Their glamorous apparels for tonight accentuate their dazzling beauty. 

"Speaking of... I haven't seen both Uncle Adrian and Aunt Cassidy yet-"

"Brother Damien?"

At someone's call, Damien snaps out of his dazed search. He then turns to his side to find his younger brothers, Joshua and Hugo, looking up to him quizzically. They appear to find the expression he's unknowingly making as somewhat strange.

"You're the lamest birthday boy I've ever seen," Joshua teased with a playful smirk.

"Why won't you go down to play, brother?" Hugo asked with his beaming, wide eyes blinking at him.     

The former is the second child who's three years younger than him, sporting a pair of emerald green eyes, pitch black hair and a mischievous, fun-loving spirit. Their youngest brother, on the other hand, has light brown hair, the same eye color and a shy personality that's quite common for six-year-old's.

"Alright, alright... I'll go down now," Damien sighed in defeat, finally giving in.

That's until the crowd begins to stir out of nowhere - the uproarious noise mixing in with the roaring sound of a speeding vehicle coming their way.