Chapter 19

chapter 19

“A birthday present?”

Yurina counted today’s date in her head.

‘Come to think of it, it’s already the month of harvest.’

The year here consisted of twelve months like Korea. However, unlike Korea, where the name of the month was counted in January, February, etc., there was a separate name for each month.

Among them, the month of October in Korea is ‘The Month of Harvest’, and Raynald’s birthday was the 19th of this harvest month. I had about two weeks left until his birthday.

Even though Yurina didn’t order a separate birthday party, Betsy, who cares about Raynald even among the maids, was excited not long ago to throw a birthday party with Raynald’s favorite foods.

A maid close to her and a few servants agreed to prepare together. He has never really enjoyed a party before, so I’ll prepare a memorable one.

Raynald raised his head and frowned as Yurina laughed at Betsy’s face, full of excitement. Thanks to the etiquette class, it was a raw look that I hadn’t seen for a while.

“What’s the reaction? Have you forgotten my birthday by any chance?”

“No way. Of course I remember. It’s the 19th of the month of harvest.”

Raynald’s expression quickly unraveled on the exact date. When I first saw him, I saw Tom’s untidy face.

“Well, Ray, what do you want for your birthday?”

“Well….”

Unlike the first time he brought up the story with curiosity, he took the time to look at Yurina.

“What is it? Tell me anything. I’m Yurina Carthia.”

Yurina had the power and influence to save him no matter what he said. To be exact, it’s what her father has, but her wealth was the same as his soon.

Raynald, who had been wary of Yurina’s boastful talk, sighed and murmured quietly.

“But it’s not a thing.”

“If it’s not a thing, is it a wish?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll listen and I’ll do it if I can. If it’s an unreasonable wish, I can’t accept it even if it’s your birthday.”

“Do you have to put an exception like that?”

Does he know how to use words such as “exceptional clauses”? Yurina once again admired his change.

“Of course I have to put it. What do you think you’re gonna do? One wrong promise can ruin a family.”

Raynald hardened his face as if he had sincerely accepted what she said as a joke.

“Do you think I’m asking you to do that?”

“You never know.”

“Oh, really!”

The moment he raised his head, Yurina frowned. In amazement, Raynald’s gaze moved from Yurina’s face to her feet. His feet were stepping on the tiny feet of Yurina.

“Sorry!”

Yurina glanced at him.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“No!”

Raynald flinched and dragged Yurina to the sofa. No matter how many times Yurina said she was fine, he sat on the floor with his knees clenched and looked at her feet on his legs.

Every time he practiced dancing, he stepped on the same spot so many times that there were bluish marks on her feet. In the meantime, Raynald saw the marks on the back of Yurina’s white feet for the first time today because she wore shoes that covered the top of her feet.

“Since when did this happen?”

“I’ve already told you, it’s allright.”

Yurina felt awkward for no reason and tried to get her feet back quickly, but Raynald caught her ankle first.

“If you heard people ask you were bruised, why didn’t you tell them?”

“Because I didn’t feel the need to talk. It doesn’t hurt much.”

“I think it hurts.”

“If you’re so worried, you can improve your dancing skills and not step on my feet. Don’t you think?”

The joke she gave on purpose didn’t open his face. Yurina looked down at his head and had his hair all messed up for no reason. The hair he had cleaned up at best quickly became like a nest, but Raynald looked up at Yurina to see if it mattered.

“ time if there’s another one, let me know.”

Yurina could no longer speak playfully to a determined hand. She nodded with a serious look.

“Yes, I will.”

“I’ll practice hard so that I won’t step on your foot.”

Raynald gently rubbed her foot on the back of his hand. The bluish bruises disappeared in an instant.

After starting to learn magic from Dave in earnest, he could now use simple magic as easily as breathing. Dave and his colleagues were so impressed.

Even after treatment, Raynald continued to touch Yurina’s foot as to what was unsatisfactory. Every time he rubbed it with his fingertips, it felt as if her feet were on fire.

Yurina felt somehow embarrassed and quickly got him up. After tapping the empty side with her hands, he got up and sat next to her.

The dance teacher and the violinist, who were watching the conversation between the two in a corner left the hall saying that they would take a moment to rest.

“Shall we just continue about what we’re talking about? Ray, what do you want to do on your birthday?”

“You don’t have to throw me a birthday party. Let’s go out for fun that day.”

“Two of us? Just the two of us?”

“Yes.”

Raynald hesitated and asked, looking at Yurina, who couldn’t answer readily.

“No?”

“It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s just I can’t. My dad would never allow us to go out. The guards and maids will follow us too.”

“Ah.”

Raynald bit his lips with a face that realized something. Then there was no more word for this award. Yurina saw him wriggling his hands as if the grass had died

“If you don’t mind taking the guards and the maids, why don’t we go out to play? Let’s go out and eat delicious food, shop around and buy some presents for you.”

“Really? Can I?”

“Of course.”

When I saw him smiling quickly, I followed him with a smile.

After being educated in etiquette, ‘A nobleman should know how to hide his expression so that his innermost feelings are not revealed, and he should not laugh brightly’. Raynald always hid his true feelings as if he were wearing a mask.

The tutor praised his change, but Yurina sometimes missed his various expressions and frank words.

‘Still….’

I was happy that he still seemed to be a bold and honest kid in front of me.

“Oh, by the way.”

“Huh?”

“You said you didn’t need a birthday party, but I don’t think that’s possible. There are people waiting for your birthday even more than you.”

Yurina recalled Betsy, who was working hard to prepare a list of Raynald’s favorite foods.

“So let’s have a party in the morning and go out for lunch or something. What do you say?”

“Okay. Let’s do that.”

Nodding his head, Raynald rose from his seat and reached out to her. Yurina got up holding his hand.

After that, Raynald seemed desperately focused, but ended up stepping on Yurina’s feet twice more.

*****

On the 19th of harvest month, Raynald’s birthday morning.

Yurina looked out at the colorfully decorated reception room and shook her tongue. There were four large tables in the drawing room. Each was full of appetizers, main dishes, desserts and pretty wrapped gifts.

I like the word ‘Full’, but in terms of quantity or number, it was like going to a small party. The size of the tea party, which Yurina invited about 10 children of her age last time, was smaller than this.

“When did you get up and get ready?”

“Props have been prepared for two weeks, desserts and cold foods were made last night, and warm foods were prepared this morning and at dawn. My master and madam told me to prepare for it, so I worked hard.”

“It must have been hard, but you did a lot of work.”

“Ay, thank you. I did it because everyone liked it.”

Betsy, who bragged and wiped her forehead with a sleeve, suddenly added in a worried voice.

“But will Raynald like it? I prepared it with the foods he usually ate, but I didn’t hear what he liked.”

“He will like it. Don’t worry.”

As far as Yurina knows, Raynald didn’t have any food that he hates or hides even though he has favorite food. Because he have lived a poor life, he have lost his appetite.

Still, when I looked around the table, I could see a lot of menus that Raynald used to enjoy.

“I think everyone likes Raynald a lot.”

“Of course. Is there anyone in the mansion that doesn’t like Raynald?”

“That’s a little surprising.”

“Oh, what makes you think that, my lady?”

“Just…..”

Rather than approach people far away due to poor social skills, Raynald is so tightly closed that he refuses to touch anyone approaching him.

It took a long time and effort to get close to him, and unlike Yurina, the employees who had a lot of work to do couldn’t afford to care about him that much. That’s why she knew how to keep her distance even if the employees took care of him.

‘I’m glad you like him.’

I didn’t know you liked him this much.

Betsy, who was looking at Yurina’s facial expression, explained it on her own.

“He looks like he’s clumsy, but he’s cute when you look at it carefully. Last time, he even gave me cookies to eat. And because of the age difference, he looks like a younger brother. Oh, can I say this to the noble?”

“Why not? Dave thinks I’m cute because I’m like a younger sister.”

In fact, considering the age difference, Yurina was Dave’s niece. When I asked him why he was not my uncle but her brother, he smiled as if he was crying for the first time and gave no answer.

Later, when I heard through my father, Dave’s sister died as a child. He said he had a younger sister. At that time, he was thirteen, and her age was five.

When Yurina first saw Dave when she was four, she deserved to look like a sister to him.

‘It doesn’t really matter in this situation.’

As Yurina tried hard to erase the gloomy smile from her head, the servant, who was watching, jumped into the reception room.

“Mr. Raynald is coming!”

All the employees, who were finishing their preparations with smiling faces, stood at the door and held their breath. Yurina and Betsy also grabbed a handful of tiny, colorful pieces of paper and stood among the employees, focusing on the footsteps heard outside the door.

“Yurina? Are you here?”

As soon as the door opened carefully and Raynald’s voice was heard, everyone sprinkled pieces of paper on his head.

“Happy birthday!”

The eyes of Raynald, who was looking at pieces of paper and brightly smiling employees in front of his eyes, grew surprisingly round. Yurina stood facing Raynald, stepping on pieces that fell to the ground.

“Ray, happy birthday. Are you already thirteen? You’re three years older than me today.”

Yurina raised her hand high into the sky and opened her fist. A fluttering piece of red paper fell on Raynald’s nose. He still looked slowly around with a puzzled look.

“Uh, uh?”

Then in an instant, he burst into transparent tears.