Chapter 39
I was startled and quickly listened to Papi’s voice.
“He says it hurts?”
When I repeated the faint sound, Papi widened his eyes as if surprised and let out a small groan.
“What did he say?”
Martel, who was looking back and forth between me and Papi, urged me to answer.
“He says he’s in pain.”
“What?”
As if he had never expected that, Martel stared in shock. I asked Papi a few more questions, then sat down with a serious expression.
“He says his gums hurt a lot whenever he eats. I think you should take him to the hospital.”
The only animal hospital in the northern region wasn’t easy to reach from Cotton Street, but there was no other choice.
There was nothing we could do here.
Still unsure, Martel reached toward Papi’s mouth to check if what I said was true.
“Grrr.”
Papi growled because it hurt, so it wasn’t easy. But after coaxing him gently, Martel managed to open his mouth. Inside his small mouth, his gums were clearly red and swollen.
“I thought he just had no energy. I never imagined he was in pain,” Martel muttered in shock, watching Papi shake his head and lick his lips nonstop.
“Thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, Sir Nathan, I would have kept blaming poor Papi without even knowing he was sick.”
Saying they should go before it got worse, Martel quickly picked Papi up. Before leaving, he stopped at the door.
“I haven’t sold ‘Green of Life’ yet. If you want, I can hold it for you.”
My eyes widened at the unexpected offer, but only for a moment.
‘What’s the point? I still won’t be able to gather enough money in time.’
I had already started trying to accept that I needed to choose a different gift. I shook my head.
“No. There’s someone I wanted to give it to as a birthday present, but I don’t think I can save enough money by then.”
“A birthday present, you say.”
Martel stroked his chin, then said firmly,
“Alright!”
Huh? What do you mean, alright?
I looked at him in confusion. He smiled.
“I’ll sell it to you at the price you want.”
“At the price I want?”
How could he offer that without even knowing what I’d say?
Seeing my doubtful expression, Martel laughed heartily.
“Please don’t look at me like that. This is for Papi too.”
He scratched Papi’s small head gently.
“If it weren’t for you, I would’ve kept starving him without knowing he was sick. Isn’t that a relief?”
“But that’s too much. And…”
I hesitated, choosing my words carefully.
‘Aren’t you just an employee?’
I wanted to ask if he really had the authority to give away such an expensive and precious gem so freely, but I couldn’t find the right words.
Maybe he read the hesitation on my face, because Martel thumped his chest confidently.
“Don’t worry. If my mother knew about this, she would’ve told me to hand over any gem you wanted.”
“My mother is the owner of the jewelry shop.”
After those shocking words, I completely shut my mouth.
“This is strange.”
Why is nothing changing?
There were no servants busily decorating the castle, no gardeners tending flowers and trees to show off the beautiful grounds.
Even Levi, who should have been busy preparing to welcome many guests, was teaching passionately every day as usual.
With less than a week left until Valentin’s birthday, time at the Duke of Berenice’s castle passed as normally as ever.
“Hup! Ha!”
As usual, I shouted while training.
“Harder! Run!”
As usual, I rolled on the ground.
“Nathan Raphelia, focus! One more lap.”
As usual, I sweated under the sun.
Even while moving intensely enough to sweat in the cold northern wind, my mind was filled with one question.
‘Aren’t birthday parties for powerful nobles in romance novels supposed to be grand and luxurious?’
Usually, the castle would be redecorated months in advance, and a huge banquet would be prepared.
But no matter how long I waited, nothing changed.
There were no busy servants decorating the castle, no smell of rich food filling the dining hall, no line of visitors arriving.
It was almost too quiet.
‘There’s less than a week until Valentin’s birthday. I’m already prepared.’
When I thought about the “Green of Life” safely kept in my room, all my hard work flashed before my eyes and my chest tightened with emotion.
Okay. Let’s think about the original story.
“……”
…Now that I think about it, Valentin’s birthday party was never mentioned in the original novel.
I only remembered his birthday was in February because it matched his name.
‘Did I misunderstand something?’
In the end, I couldn’t hold back and called Levi.
“Levi.”
He looked at my raised hand with an almost touched expression.
“This isn’t related to today’s lesson.”
When I hesitated, Levi smiled brightly.
“All knowledge in the world is connected. If it’s something I can answer, I would be happy to.”
That made me feel a little guilty. After thinking for a moment, I asked indirectly.
“What are the important annual events in Berenice?”
Like the Duke’s birthday or something.
With Valentin’s birthday coming up, this was the perfect time to ask.
But things didn’t go as I hoped.
Levi immediately began drawing a large table on the board, as if he was about to list every event from January to December. I quickly stopped him.
“Isn’t there anything special this month?”
“You mean February?”
Judging by the way he leaned back slowly, he didn’t seem to recall anything special.
Seriously?
‘Is Valentin’s birthday not in February?’
I’ve been with Valentin for almost a year.
That means there aren’t many days left—
“Ah!”
Right then, Levi seemed to remember something.
I straightened up, listening carefully. He smiled kindly at me.
“If you’re asking about a special occasion, there is the Duke’s birthday.”
Yes, that’s it!
I nodded eagerly.
“It’s not grand enough to call it a major annual event, but it is certainly important.”
I frowned slightly.
“Not grand?”
The word “small” in this noble era had to mean something different from what I knew.
Still hoping, I asked again, but my bad feeling was correct.
“Yes. Other than making donations to the orphans and widows of Berenice, there isn’t anything special.”
“…What about a celebration party? Gifts? A banquet?”
Levi chuckled at my flood of questions, then answered firmly,
“There is none.”
“……”
“The Duke dislikes it.”
“……”
I was speechless.
As if afraid I’d ask more, Levi quickly began writing the lesson on the board.
I had never seen him change the topic so fast.
‘Why does he hate it?’
Even if I asked, he would probably avoid answering.
So I gave up and tried to focus on the lesson. None of it went into my head.
Perhaps feeling guilty, Levi continued teaching without pointing out my poor posture.
‘Why would he hate it?’
It wasn’t hard to guess.
‘Maybe because the mother who should have celebrated his birth cursed him instead.’
If on the day you’re supposed to be congratulated, you’re told you should never have been born, how could you ever be happy about it?
‘And maybe the people around him whispered about his birth behind their congratulations.’
As someone who was never congratulated on my birth by the person closest to me, I had long given up on any dream about birthdays.
My mother always forgot mine.
She would mark other people’s daughters’ birthdays on the calendar and prepare carefully, but she often forgot her own daughter’s birthday.
At first, I think I was hurt. But over time, I grew numb.
‘It’s just a birthday.’
I don’t know if I truly stopped caring, or if I just pretended not to care so I wouldn’t get hurt.
But when my friends celebrated for me, how did it feel?
I wished they would just ignore it, yet at the same time, it felt… nice. It felt like being loved.
“…Wouldn’t Valentin feel the same?”
I suddenly wanted to celebrate his birth with people who truly loved him.
I wanted to fill that day with the things he liked.
I wanted him to be happy.
“Levi.”
Levi, who had been drawing diagrams on the board, turned around.
“Sir Nathan, you seem distracted today—”
I glared at him with my bright yellow eyes. He flinched.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“There’s something we absolutely must do.”
My voice was so serious it almost sounded determined for battle. Confusion spread across Levi’s face.
