A year passed since Erika reincarnated into the world of this otome game. She was now eleven. Her parents threw a large party for her. Erika's father took some time to personally come to his daughter's birthday. He was sad for having to leave before he could see her after she woke up from her coma.
He made it a surprise for Erika. "Happy birthday, dear Erika." He came inside the party hall and hugged his daughter Erika.
"Father!" Erika exclaimed. She was very happy to meet her father for the first time. He was a handsome and tall man with blonde hairs and blue eyes. His eye colors matched Erika's. He kissed her in the forehead and gave her a beautiful blue dress with many embroidery on its body.
"Thank you very much father. I love this dress." Erika said.
The party was lavish. The hall was decorated with candles and beautiful curtains. The huge table in the center was full of delicious foods and servants and maids were handing out drinks to the guests.
Erika was the main attraction of today's party. She had changed into the cloth her father gifted her without delay. It looked great on her. Her mother gifted her with a red ruby necklace which she wore along with the dress. She sat on the stage made for the party between her mother and father. The incoming guests wished her happy birthday by bowing in front of the stage.
Erika was happy with her birthday celebrations. "Though my parents celebrated my birthdays every year in my previous life as well, it was nothing like this." She thought. However she was grateful for those parties as well.
There was one problem here in this party. Though it was a party held by a very powerful duke, not many nobles from other territories were present. Most were the officials of the duke's territory and some family friends and prominent commoners while some other nobles from other territories were present as well.
The biggest person missing was the prince. As the fiance of Erika he was supposed to greet Erika and attend the party with her. But he refused to come to the party. He said he was busy handling the affairs of the royal capital. He also refused to sign the letter sent by the royal family.
This was something unacceptable for the duke of Raubenbraum but since he left for the territory, he was only able to know about it later and was unable to protest.
Though he didn't bring it up during the party. He wanted his daughter to enjoy her birthday to the fullest. Still he clenched his fists while sitting in the chair.
Erika was a bit unsatisfied. "Ah, only if I could attend the party in my Wehrmacht uniform." She thought. However, that was something impossible and she knew it too. "Though I am happy that father made time to meet me himself."
The party went on without any interruption. Erika received many gifts. She was happy. After the party she talked with her father and mother as a family for some times in their bedroom.
"Father, today we also have a gift for you." Erika said with a smile on her face. She was sitting on her mother's lap which was a bit embarrassing for her being a highschool student mentally and her cheeks were slightly red. But she still endured it.
"Oh, what kind of gift do you have for me?" the duke asked. He was curious.
"It's something mother and I worked together to make. You will see it tomorrow." Erika said with a smile.
"Oh, now I am even more curious. Tell me what it is." He first looked at Erika and then at his wife. Both of them had a suspicious smile at their faces.
"If our daughter says tomorrow than tomorrow it will be." THe duchess said. "Erika you must be tired from the party so go to sleep." She said to Erika patting her head.
"As you say mother." Erika listened to her mother like an obedient daughter and left for her room.
"You know dear I am a bit worried." The duke's face grimmed. The smile he previously had was gone now.
"What's wrong dear? Is it about the prince?" the duchess asked. Her face was now serious as well. She could vaguely understand something wrong with the prince's attitude. It is unheard of for a royal to not attending the party for a soon to be member of the royal family, not to mention even denying to send a letter of congratulations, that is completely unacceptable among the nobles.
"Yes you are right dear. but that is only a part of it." The duke sighed. "The other nobles are conspiring something against our family and I think the prince is also complicit on it." The duke said with a heavy face.
"Did something happened at the royal capital?" Duchess asked. She was anxious. "I also have a feeling of something being amiss." She added.
The duke released a large breath and said, "I think so. Last time when I went to royal palace, the prince and his guards didn't allow me to meet the king. Prince took the report himself saying that he will hand it over to the king." Duke stopped for a while, "after that the king sent me a letter saying that I was neglecting my duties. I have a premonition that the prince and other nobles are conspiring something against us." The duke added.
Now the duchess felt that something was really wrong. But she didn't ask more. It was clear from the duke's voice that he was tired.
"Anyways, let's stop talking about these things for now. You have returned home after a long journey. So rest now." The duchess said.
"Yes, I am feeling a bit sleepy." The duke said and yawned.
"Fufu," the duchess laughed. They both turned off the lights and went to sleep.
The next they morning Erika and her parents came down for breakfast. Erika sat on the left side of her mother while the duke sat across them. They were talking about various things. While having breakfast.
"So, how has your days been going on?" The duke asked looking at Erika.
Erika was taken aback. She remembered how she spent the past year after creating and testing new weapons, training soldiers and going on a mission inside the dark forest. "It's not like I can say all these." She hesitated for a bit.
"You know our daughter has been doing something since the last year." The duchess spoke. She was smiling. "Just a few months ago I found returning from some place at night while being covered in mud and soil. She seemed very tired as if she was fighting monsters. I barred her from going outside for a whole month after that." Duchess laughed.
Erika almost choked on her food hearing this. cough, cough...
"What's the matter Erika?" The duchess and duke both were surprised. The duchess quickly poured some water into a glass and gave it to her to drink.
Erika drunk the water and cleared her throat. She thought that she would be done for if her parents find out the truth.
"Oh, our daughter who would run to us at the first sign of trouble doing something like that?" The duke spoke. "Are you sure she wasn't just hiding somewhere?" He laughed.
"By the way, she has become more knowledgeable in various things. For the entire month she was confined in the palace, we made the tele..."
Before the duchess could finish her sentence Erika pinched her softly signalling her to stop.
"Cough, cough," duchess cleared her throat, "Anyways, let's finish our breakfast. Erika still has the gift for you, she said last night. You will see her knowledge for yourself." She changed the subject. The duke was curious about the gift. So he didn't push for more explanation.
After breakfast, Erika took them to the palace garden. She handed over a field telephone set to her father.
"Uh, what is this?" The duke examined the weird wooden box he was handed over.
It seemed that a steel part of the wooden box can be removed from the box. The steel part was shaped weirdly and had two round parts at both ends. He hit the part and it seemed to be hollow. He also noticed a cord that connected to another similar box in Erika's hands.
"Fufu, this is our daughter's weird knowledge. You'll see how it works soon enough." The duchess smiled at the duke's confusion.
Erika took the other telephone set far away. She ran inside the palace. From there she rotated the hand crank.
Meanwhile the duke was even more confused. "Umm where is she going?" He asked looking at the duchess, who also moved a bit far away.
"You'll find out soon. Just stay where you are." She laughed.
Suddenly the set in duke's hand started making a loud noise. This threw him off guard. The duke almost dropped the telephone. With a surprised, shocked and confused face he looked at the duchess, who was laughing even more. She controlled herself and signalled him to pick up the metal part and hold it by his ear and mouth.
He did what the duchess instructed. From the metal object he could hear her daughter's voice.
"Hello father. This is my gift to you. Welcome home." He clearly heard his daughter's voice.
He looked around him and was confused that Erika was nowhere near him but he could still clearly hear her.
"This is a telephone and it allows us to talk to one another from any distance. With this you can talk to us from the capital whenever you want." Erika said over the telephone. "This was jointly made by mother and I for you."
The duke was almost moved to tears. He didn't know how they came up with this thing but it made him happy that now he could talk to his family from the royal capital.
After that Erika returned with the other set and asked, "Do you like it, father."
The duke hugged her and said, "I love it dear Erika. THank you very much for this gift."
The duchess was also moved to tears at this sight. She joined in with her husband and daughter, "Hey don't leave me out. Without me Erika couldn't have it."
They all laughed.