Chapter 65

…Flour?

I had no idea what was going on, but it felt like the siblings had teamed up to trick me.
It wasn’t just my imagination—the atmosphere was different than usual.

I was just as thrown off as they were.

“Why is your face like that?” I asked Martin.

“Ah, cake! My brother made a cake,” Erica quickly explained, poking Martin in the side.

Martin made a cake?

It had already been strange when Erica told me not to come in.

I turned my eyes on Martin. He covered his mouth with a cough, avoiding my gaze.

“Why are you reacting like that?”

“…Looks like I have no choice.”

Erica and Martin exchanged a look. It was a signal. One I wasn’t supposed to notice.

No way… Is today some kind of special day?

Martin pulled out a cake from behind his back and strode toward me.

Before I could react, Erica hugged me tightly from behind.

“What on earth…?”

While I was caught off guard, Martin dabbed whipped cream onto my nose.

The cold cream shocked me into widening my eyes.

Erica let go of me with a victorious grin, clapping her hands in delight.

“Tada~ Happy birthday, Sister-in-law!”

“Happy birthday, my lady,” Martin added.

…My birthday?

Only then did I really see the cake he was holding.

White whipped cream, big strawberries, Gemma’s age written clearly on it.
Star- and heart-shaped chocolates.
Servants clapping and cheering.

I kept blinking in disbelief.

My birthday… It’s today.
The day Gemma was born.

I had no idea. How could I? It was never mentioned in the original story.

And yet here were these infamous siblings, preparing a surprise party for me.

What a clumsy setup.

Of course Erica wouldn’t know how to throw a party—she’d never done it before.
But Martin had helped me prepare her birthday party once, hadn’t he?

Still, even if it was clumsy, I couldn’t stop the strange feelings welling up.
The sight of the siblings smiling with the cake…

They weren’t the kind to plan celebrations like this.

I never thought I’d experience something like this…

At that moment—

“Oh my, my lady…!”

Mary rushed forward with a handkerchief.
Puzzled, I looked up—something wet was falling from my eyes.

“…Thank you. Truly, thank you.”

In the novel, Gemma’s life had only been summed up in one short line, ending with her tragic death.
But here I was—being celebrated.
It made me feel… like someone special.

“Yay! We did it! Sister-in-law, you almost came in too early—we panicked!”

“I was sweating,” Martin admitted.

As we laughed together, Babel signaled something to Martin from the kitchen doorway.
For just a moment, Martin’s eyes turned cold. But I ignored it, assuming it was work-related.

I was just grateful he made time for my birthday at all.

“Sister-in-law! Taste the cake my brother made!” Erica urged.

Martin made it?

Thinking of the flour still on his face, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Can I really eat it?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s too pretty to eat.”

How could I ruin it? Someone made this cake for me.

Aside from the cream Martin smeared on my nose, the cake was untouched.
I didn’t want to mess it up.

Imagining Martin’s big, clumsy hands carefully making it…
All the more reason not to.

“Then I’ll eat first!” Erica teased, pulling the cake closer with a mischievous grin.

No way. I wasn’t letting her steal the first bite.

“Let’s eat it together, my lady.”

While Erica eagerly cut the cake, I noticed someone watching me.

Turning my head, I saw Colin standing beside Mary.

“It’s been a while, Colin.”

“Congratulations, my lady. This is something I made in my spare time.”

“Oh my, thank you.”

“I never forgot how kind you were to me. Listening to me, and also…”

I patted his short hair gently. I already knew what he meant—no need for him to say more.

He couldn’t have known that his words had led to the household’s wage system changing.

If Erica had seen this, she might’ve gotten jealous.
But luckily, she was too busy cutting the cake to notice.

“I should be thanking you. I only did what a duchess ought to do.”

Thanks to him, I’d learned clearly what my role required.

Colin blushed and stood close to Mary.

It felt strangely satisfying, as if I’d finally shown the proper side of a lady of the house.

Mary, smiling kindly, tapped her own nose.

My nose?

Ah! Right—I still had cream on my nose.

Mary handed me a small mirror.

In the reflection, I saw a familiar stranger.
The silly cream aside, my pink hair and blue eyes looked unchanged.
Yet there was something… more genuine about the face.

This is me.

Yes, it was me.

I smiled at the mirror. My lips moved as I willed them.

I was alive. I was living as myself.

Martin returned to the kitchen, and when our eyes met, he walked straight to me.

Without looking away, he smiled and reached out his hand.

“There’s somewhere we need to go, my lady.”

I didn’t know where, but somehow, it didn’t matter.

Wherever he led me—Martin Cloud was my family now.

I hadn’t planned to ask, but—

“Where are we going?”

We’d already walked all the way to the garden, yet he hadn’t stopped.

And he was still holding my hand tightly.

The warmth made me feel shy.

“Just a little farther,” he said calmly, focused only on walking.

Finally, he stopped, pointing ahead with a proud look.

A white horse stood waiting, neighing softly.

Its coat shone under the sunlight—clearly well cared for.

Martin stroked its mane and gestured for me to come closer.

“My lady, would you like to ride it yourself?”

The horse neighed again as if on cue.

“W-what are you saying all of a sudden?”

“I’ve wanted to gift you one for a while. I thought it would make your outings easier.”

“The thought is sweet, but… it doesn’t seem to like me.”

I edged closer, but the horse barely acknowledged me.
It must’ve sensed my nervousness.

Martin, trying not to look flustered, shared his “secret.”

“If you name it yourself, you’ll bond faster.”

How am I supposed to name it when I’m this scared?

“Do you have a name in mind?” I asked.

His cheeks turned pink.

Why? What embarrassing name had he come up with?

“…‘Mama.’ From Martin and Ma—Gemma.”

As if naming our future child.

I smacked his arm. “You’re ridiculous!”

Even Martin seemed embarrassed by his own boldness, bowing his head.

After the brief chaos, I thought seriously and gave my answer.

“I’ll call it ‘Now.’”

“‘Now’…?”

He repeated it with a curious smile, then climbed onto the horse.

The horse’s clear eyes reflected me.

Can I really ride it?

As if the name pleased it, the horse turned docile.

“Hold tight,” Martin said.

I wrapped my arms around his waist. His strong back muscles flexed beneath my hands.

He rode skillfully, guiding the horse as warm sunlight poured down on us.

I held on tightly.

Maybe the real gift wasn’t the horse.

Maybe what he truly wanted to give me… was this time together.

Riding side by side beneath the gentle wind and sun, sharing the same view in this very moment.

“…I love you, my lady.”

But I was too caught up in the scenery to hear his low whisper.