"I am deeply grateful to each of you for gathering here today to celebrate my beloved daughter Clara's birthday," the King begins, his voice steady and warm. "As her father and as a member of the royal family, it fills us with joy to witness her stepping into yet another year of life. Thank you for joining us in honoring this special occasion."
The room remains silent, not from fear but out of a profound respect for their King. All eyes rest upon him, captivated by his words.
"And now, I present to you, my beautiful daughter, Princess Clara Priestly."
As he concludes, Clara gracefully steps forward, descending the grand staircase. She is a vision in a flowing white gown, her light blue hair intricately braided and adorned with silver flower ornaments. Her dark brown eyes sweep over the gathered guests, and her beauty is so radiant that it draws a wave of admiring murmurs and applause from the crowd.
Even I cannot deny the princess's beauty. Once the King concludes his words, the banquet is officially opened, and the guests begin to mingle, each attending to their own conversations and activities.
Anastasia and I stand with the other noble children—Aeryn, Meredith, Alexandria, and Alejandro.
"Wahhh! Princess Clara is absolutely stunning! Did you all see how she sparkled as she came down the stairs?" Alejandro exclaims, his eyes shining with admiration. "I swear, my heart skipped a beat!"
"I agree! She's incredibly pretty," his twin sister Alexandria replies, a teasing smile forming. "Looks like you're already in love with her, brother."
Alejandro's face flushes with embarrassment as he stammers, "S-shut up, sis! We're still kids… there's no way!" Yet, the red on his cheeks betrays him.
His reaction makes us all smile in amusement. Alejandro may deny it, but his expression says it all. It's clear that he's developed quite a crush on the princess.
Alexandria shifts her teasing gaze toward me. "And what about you, Sir Oliver? Have you fallen for the princess too?" Her question draws everyone's attention, all eyes now waiting for my response.
I smile and reply honestly, "Well, I do think the princess is beautiful." As I say this, I sense a sharp gaze coming from Aeryn's direction, accompanied by an unexplainable pressure in the air.
"Oh?" Alexandria raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"But that's all. I just find her beautiful—pure admiration, nothing more. No romantic feelings whatsoever," I clarify. Out of the corner of my eye, I think I see Aeryn release a small sigh of relief, though perhaps it's just my imagination.
What I said was true. Though I may currently inhabit a child's body, my soul belongs to a college student—an adult. It would be strange, even unsettling, to feel anything romantic toward a child who has only just turned seven.
We continued chatting until Alejandro and Alexandria returned to their parents. Soon after, Aeryn was called over by her other friends, leaving me with Meredith and my little sister, Anastasia.
Meredith is a quiet child, while Anastasia is rather shy, so the atmosphere felt a bit awkward. I was about to break the silence when Meredith spoke up first.
"She looks just like you," she said, glancing between me and Anastasia. "If I didn't know you, I'd probably think she's your younger sister."
Her words made both Anastasia and me smile. "Well, technically she is my sister. Although we're not actually siblings, she's still my little sister," I explained. Anastasia nodded with a smile, her expression reminiscent of a cheerful rabbit.
Meredith smiled back, a sight that was somewhat rare. Even though I had seen her smile before, I couldn't help but compliment her beautiful smile. It was striking, especially since she usually appeared so cold and emotionless.
As a result, Anastasia started to warm up to Meredith, appearing much more at ease. I wasn't certain whether it was Meredith's calming demeanor that made her feel comfortable, but I was genuinely happy to see my little sister so relaxed.
While the two of them chatted (Anastasia and Meredith), I caught a glimpse of my mother and Aunt Olivia in conversation. My mother was laughing and smiling, filling my heart with joy. Aunt Olivia seemed more at ease as well, though a blush still lingered on her cheeks.
I don't really care who my mother falls in love with, as long as that person is kind and treats her well. I don't mind whether it's a man or a woman; what matters most is her happiness. My mother deserves to love and be loved by someone special. Although I'm fairly certain she won't open her heart anytime soon due to her past experiences, I still hold out hope that one day she will.
I turned away from my mother and Aunt Olivia and joined Anastasia and Meredith, who were deep in conversation about animals.
"My favorite animal is a rabbit because they're so cute! Hehe. I also like tigers because they remind me of my brother Oliver!," Anastasia said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Meredith listened with amusement, clearly enjoying the conversation.
"How about me? What animal reminds you of me?" Meredith asked. It was cute to see her coaxing Anastasia, a side of her I hadn't expected since she usually came off as cold.
Anastasia pondered for a moment before declaring, "A cat! Sister Meredith is like a cat!" I struggled to suppress a laugh; it was true, she really did remind me of one.
Meredith looked puzzled. "A cat? Why a cat?"
Anastasia replied with enthusiasm, "Because you're independent and a bit mysterious! But when you want to be, you can be super cuddly and sweet! Just like a cat that acts all cool but loves to curl up in a sunny spot!"
Unable to hold back any longer, I burst out laughing, causing Meredith to blush in embarrassment.
"Why are you laughing, Brother Oliver?" Anastasia asked, her curiosity evident. I simply shook my head in response.
"Nothing, I just think my little sister is cute," I replied with a chuckle. Meredith coughed, as if to shift the focus. I couldn't help but watch with amusement.
Just then, the twins, Alexandria and Alejandro, returned.
"And we're back! Did we miss anything?" Alexandria asked eagerly.
I shook my head. "Not really."
"I heard a rumor that the king had prepared a special event for us kids later," Alejandro said in a hushed tone, as if sharing a highly confidential secret.
My interest was piqued. What could this special event be?
"By the way, Sir Oliver," Alejandro continued, "you mentioned that we could spar together last time. My sister and I are really excited about it!"
I recalled my promise and smiled. "Yes, I did say that. Let's plan a spar when we're all free. When are you available?"
"How about next week?" Alejandro suggested. I nodded in agreement.
"It's a deal then!" We shook hands to seal our agreement.
After a while, Aeryn returned and confirmed the twins' news about the upcoming event. Everyone buzzed with excitement over what it could be.