78 Celebrating Fifth Birthday 2 I Didn'st Even Want to Live, But God Forced Me to Reincarnate!

I am positive I will wield swords again once my family gave me a green light. Given the choice, I know I will just pick up swords. Altaire kept boasting on how I was so skilled at fighting with the ice sword, and even encouraged me to start practicing my swordsmanship again.

However, I was preoccupied with learning the basic of dark magic and other forms of magic. Plus, Dad's too overprotective on how I might hurt myself if I were to handle swords at such a young age. So I think it's fine to wait until my enrollment to school. It should be easy for me to pick back my swordsmanship skill!

This way, I will also have more time to try thinking ways to alter my past swordsmanship skill... hmm, how can I explain it if there are still similarities to Grabberton style?

Ah well, let's think about it later.

Anyway, my fifth birthday comes after Luca's.

And, surprise! Luca came to visit my house!! He came along with a few escorts, though. There is no way he would be allowed to leave the castle without bringing along any escort.

"Sorry for intruding, happy birthday, Lyra!" He hands out a nicely wrapped present to me.

"Thanks, Luca! Can I open it?"

"Uh oh, you'd better save all the presents and open them all at once later on. Also, thanks for coming, Luca!" Mom said.

Waaa—right, I am curious to know what kind of presents I'm getting today!

"Thanks for coming, Luca!" Dad greeted Luca warmly—but deep in his eyes, there's a part of him that's saying, 'I'm watching you!'

"Hmm, is that Lyra's friend?" Clavis-nii asked.

!!

What… Clavis-nii?!

Well, he has never met Luca before, but to think that he doesn't even know that Luca is the prince…?!

"Oh, you don't know him? He's---"

Right when I was about to introduce him, Luca suddenly stepped in front of me and is now facing Clavis.

"Yes, I am. Just call me Luca. What's your name?" He reached out his hand to Clavis.

"It's my first time hearing that Lyra has a friend like you. I'm Clavis, my mother is working in this house! Nice to meet you!"

The two boys are shaking their hands and are smiling.

Hmmm, oh… perhaps Luca thinks that it's a good thing to be friends with someone who doesn't even realize that he is the prince!

"Oh my, you've got another friend, Clavis! I'm happy for you! Luca-sama, please be friends with him," Niina said with a wide smile.

...........Yes, I'm positive. Niina also has no clue on who Luca really is. She might think that Luca is just some noble friend of mine, no real biggie.

"Uhmmm," Chloe seems to notice the whole situation and is reluctant on telling Niina and Clavis or not. I turn to her and make a gesture that will tell her not to mind it.

Vince finds the situation funny and chuckled.

I can hear my grandparents, whispering to each other.

"…He is the prince, right?" Grandpa asked.

"Pretty sure he is…," Grandma replied.

"Uhm, is Lyra…?"

"No, I don't think that Cyan is planning on giving Lyra—even to the crown prince."

"Hmm, right."

Hmm, people might think like that, but Luca's honestly just a good friend of mine~

I am glad to see that he might be good friends with Clavis-nii, as well!

"It's my first time being friends with a beastman! You're from the silver wolf tribe? That's cool!"

"Yup, and I'm proud to have wolf blood in my veins!"

"Can I touch your ears and tail?"

"!! Well… normally… I won't let anyone do that… but… since you said it's your first time having a beastman friend… I guess… as long as you're only touching it slightly… Only this time, okay?"

Clavis-nii is really kind, after all! He needs to endure the ticklish sensation, but he doesn't have the heart to turn down Luca who's looking at the tail and ears with his sparkling eyes.

"Fufu, I'm glad you two are good friends!" I smiled.

""…as long as they don't say things like wanting you as their future wife," Altaire murmured.

"Hmmm?"

Sorry, Nii, I didn't hear that quite well…

"Ah, no, it's nothing! Hey, Luca, remember me?" Altaire decided to chime in.

Luca slightly turns his face towards Alt-nii while stroking Clavis' tail.

"Ohh, you are Altaire, right? We talked a few times, even for a while, so I remember you!"

"Reallyyy? I thought I heard that you didn't really memorize people…"

"You seem different than the other kids, somehow. I can feel that. To think that you're Lyra's big brother!"

Altaire chuckled, "I'm honored to hear that!"

"…? Why are you honored to hear that, Alt? Shouldn't 'happy' be the correct term to use?" Clavis asked in confusion.

"Hmmm, I wonder?" Alt vaguely responded, leaving Clavis in the dark.

"Oh, should I be calling you big bro, as well?" Luca suddenly remembered something.

"Nah, it's up to you, I'm fine either way," Alt answered, carefree as ever.

While looking at the friendship between those boys…

…

…

…

Oh…

I WANT TO HAVE A FEMALE FRIEND, AS WELL!!

That's it, that's it! I will befriend some girls when I enroll to the Harmonia Academy.

Though girls are scary when they are passionately gossiping about someone… or so is the impression I had towards most of my female classmates when I was Reinst. Nicole was an exception. To be honest, I kinda liked her—or that I was simply got used to her presence back then as she kept appearing by my side.

I kept telling myself this following line, as I tried to renew my determination.

I will make female friends in school, indulge myself in the garden of lily—I mean, in girly stuff…

And that marks the end of the last birthday I'm going to spend only with my closest ones, as starting next year, I'll be debuting to the noble society. Which will be followed by school.

I hope I can meet good female friends!