Of course, today was his birthday. Eighteen years ago, he cried loudly as he came out of his mother's womb. He breathed the air for the first time eighteen years ago, and his misfortune also began eighteen years ago.
He called it misfortune, but to the people of Grinia, the day he was born was a blessing.
Eighteen years passed, and he had finally become an adult today. On this day, he was also entitled to receive the title of Crown Princess of Grinia.
That was why people celebrate the achievement today. People congratulated him, but it was because of the new title that he received when he officially turned eighteen. However, no one remembered that it was his birthday today, and no one wished him a happy birthday.
Those people only cared about the new Crown Princess without caring that today was also his birthday. He had finally grown up today, but no one cared. Yes, no one except the nameless servant from Wrelloven.
The servant wasn't really nameless, but Elennora didn't have time to ask the man's name because the brown-haired man was in a hurry to leave. The servant said that he had to meet the King of Wrelloven, so he immediately left the Crown Princess.
"Thank you," whispered Elennora into the air because there was no one standing before him at the moment. The golden-eyed man left him before he could even thank the man, and his heart was a little uncomfortable because of that.
The man was the only one who remembered that it was also his birthday today. Even his parents didn't bother wishing him a happy birthday, but the stranger did with a genuine smile on his face.
Elennora could feel that his heart was gradually warmed by that. Just a simple wish, but someone ended up treating him as a human, not as the Crown Princess of Grinia.
Elennora realized that he was just tired because people kept pressuring him with the title of Crown Princess.
"What are you doing here, Elennora?"
The owner of the name flinched in surprise as he heard a cold question coming from behind him. Turning around, he could see his mother glaring at him. The grip on the crown tightened as the Queen walked toward him. He knew that another pressure was coming soon.
"I'm not feeling well, so I want to go to my palace to get some medicine," replied the Crown Princess with a calm expression.
Both the Crown Princess and the Queen had pink hair as well as a pair of brown eyes. Many people even mistook their relationship for sisters because Queen Richenza was still young and beautiful.
Many people also envied them, thinking that the two of them had the perfect relationship as a mother and daughter. However, those people did not know that their relationship was even colder than Winter.
"You want to go back to your palace just to take some medicine? Where's Bianca? She should have done that for you!" Queen Richenza looked angry at Elennora's question.
"It wasn't Bianca's fault," Elennora replied. "I'm the one who wants to go back to my palace alone. I asked Bianca to wait for me in the party venue, so it's not her fault."
Even if Elennora was annoyed with Bianca, he didn't want to see the maid being punished just because of what he did. Therefore, he immediately defended the maid since it was indeed his fault.
"You want to go to your palace alone? But why? You are the Crown Princess now, Elennora! You have to act like that! If you need anything, you can ask your maid to do it! Don't embarrass me!"
Elennora always thought that his mother didn't like him. Since childhood, his mother was rarely by his side. Instead, his mother would ask Bianca to accompany him all the time.
At first, he was curious about the cold treatment he received from his mother. He thought he made a mistake to make his mother hate him like that, and once he found out the truth, he knew what mistakes he made all the time. His mistake was being born a boy and not a girl.
"I am indeed the Crown Princess now, but I don't think that doing anything by myself is a disgrace," Elennora dared to argue with his mother, causing his mother to widen her brown eyes.
"You really don't want to listen to me, do you? You even messed up your vows earlier, and do you think that I wouldn't notice it?"
"..." This time, Elennora chose to listen in silence and didn't immediately refute. Of course, he knew that his mother would notice what he did earlier.
His mother always urged him to memorize every line of the vows, even teaching him about gestures and expressions when saying the vows.
But in the end, Elennora did not do as his mother said. He dared to disobey his mother, causing her to be this angry.
"I really hated you when I heard that you were a boy, and I even wanted to kill you then. But His Majesty suddenly came up with an idea, and I don't think that the idea is a bad one. I just want you to pay your debts by protecting me and His Majesty. You don't want to do that, Elennora?"
Elennora wanted to say that he would rather die than live as a puppet, but he swallowed his answer. His heart ached when he heard that his mother even wanted to kill him just because he was a boy instead of a girl, but he could only hide all the pain in his heart after knowing the truth.
He still tried to hide his distress, but the Queen's delicate hands suddenly took the crown from his hands. After that, he could feel the weight on his head once again. The Crown Princess' crown was on his head again, and another headache came to him again.
"Be a good Crown Princess for me and your father, Elennora."