I stopped in my tracks.
"...What?"
"The day after tomorrow," the butler repeated calmly.
I stared at him in disbelief. "This is the first time I've heard of this!"
The butler tilted his head apologetically. "Has my Lord not mentioned the banquet?"
"Not a word! This is my first time hearing about it at all!"
The butler began explaining gently. "Originally, my Lord is a reasonable man. After returning from the Five Years' War, when his birthday came around, he would pay respects to the previous Lord and Madam, then rest alone in the annex. However—"
"But surely people wish to celebrate their lord's birthday?"
The butler nodded with evident pride. "Of course. However, my Lord uses all birthday gifts to improve the conditions of the serfs."
"Serfs?" I asked, unfamiliar with the term.
"Yes. My Lord takes special care, so there are few bound serfs in Temnes now."
The butler explained that while most territories had nobles and commoners, there existed another class beneath them: serfs—people born to the land, bound to it for their entire lives, buried in it. Unlike commoners who could freely pursue various professions, serfs were essentially part of the landscape itself, unchanging even when the territory's ruler changed.
In Valmonde, I'd served enthusiastically in the castle and was discouraged from venturing beyond it. Perhaps because I'd grown up as a commoner, I'd always felt more comfortable with common citizens than with castle nobility.
But hearing that Kaian had liberated so many serfs—granting them freedom and status—felt like light entering a dark hallway.
"Except for the Pagos region near the capital, most have become commoners now."
"He's accomplished something remarkable," I said quietly.
"He truly is exceptional. Better than any Lord Rowen has had for centuries. He accomplishes things others couldn't manage in generations."
The butler's pride in his master was evident. Though I'd known Kaian only months, I agreed completely. He'd brought me back from the brink of death.
"He decided on the banquet just this morning," the butler continued. "Previously, there was no one to celebrate with. But now you're here. Since the fall festival was recent, he likely didn't initially consider a celebration."
We arrived at my chambers. As I reached for the door, the butler hesitated.
"Is there something else?" I asked.
"If preparing a gift requires funds, you can use a promissory note," he said carefully. "My Lord entrusted you with personal funds in case you needed them while he was managing estate affairs."
"I'll consider it," I replied.
"Don't worry excessively," the butler added kindly. "My Lord isn't particularly demanding."
---
After closing the door, I sank onto the sofa and sighed heavily, then immediately sat up again, frustrated.
"Not demanding? That's absurd!"
Kaian's tastes were notoriously exacting. The butler's opinion was subjective at best, skewed by his long service. But I understood his meaning—unlike the Duke of Vermont, who valued ostentatious displays, Kaian didn't prioritize show. Yet his natural elegance meant even simple choices looked refined.
The problem was: everything he owned was of exceptional quality. Every item—whether clothing, furnishings, or writing implements—reflected his discerning eye and high standards.
"What on earth could I give him?"
My chest felt heavy.
"I've only known about my husband's birthday for one day. When I wake tomorrow, I'll have only one day to find a gift."
In typical noble marriages, couples courted for a year before wedding. I should have known his birthday by now.
I laughed at the absurdity. "If not for the King's order, I would never have married him at all."
---
The realization settled over me: I wanted to give him something meaningful because I had genuine feelings for him.
We still had much to learn about each other, but if I gave him something now, it would become a cherished memory for years to come.
What would he truly value?
I looked down at my hands.
On my fourth finger, the button decoration Kaian had given me that second night remained, worn like a ring. Hannah had initially complained he should take it back and throw it away. Kaian had briefly agreed, but I'd insisted on keeping it.
"Because it was the first thing I received from him."
The humiliation I'd felt receiving it had faded when I saw the golden gleam against my pale skin in moonlight. At that moment, neither of us had known each other. We'd had no understanding of how to navigate our ancestral enmity.
Kaian had simply kept trying to compensate me materially, perhaps his way of approaching someone he didn't yet understand.
"I want to give him something meaningful too."
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
I opened the door to find Kaian, dressed casually for evening rest, studying my face with concern.
"Why do you look troubled? Have you not changed your clothes yet?"
"I just heard about the banquet," I said quietly.
"It's insignificant," he replied, brushing it off.
My frustration rose. "Is this how you inform me of your birthday?"
"Is that the issue?" He pulled me close, embracing me. "You shouldn't feel burdened. The butler will handle preparations."
I couldn't broach the gift topic here, so I remained silent. Kaian misinterpreted my quiet as anxiety about the sudden banquet.
"You danced beautifully at the festival," he said, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Your reputation is excellent. People have stopped whispering about Vermont."
"That's... good."
"It's simply dinner. There's no need to feel pressured." He smiled. "Now, shall I help you change clothes? One of my favorite pastimes these days."
---
The next day, I found myself at Huwon—the castle's bathing house—for the first time in weeks.
Between the festival, meeting Rohan, and suddenly learning of the banquet, I'd barely had breathing room. The Duchess of Vermont had been similarly occupied, often missing meals entirely.
"Life as a Lord's wife is demanding," I sighed, sinking into the warm water.
The Rowen estate was significantly larger than Valmonde. I'd known becoming its proper lady would require constant attention.
*But I hadn't anticipated Kaian being so unhelpful about his own birthday.*
I closed my eyes beneath the water's surface, suddenly struck by an idea.
*Should I give him a demonstration of swimming?*
I'd kept my swimming ability secret from Kaian—how he'd tried to help me stay afloat during our first bath, then playfully pulled his hands away, letting me slip under. I wanted to surprise him one day by swimming skillfully, pretending to drown just to see his reaction.
I remembered how graceful he'd looked in water—flexible as a mermaid, free as a large fish.
But returning to the immediate problem—
*The gift. The gift is the problem.*
I'd visited the marketplace this morning but found nothing to match Kaian's standards. Everything he owned, even his writing pens, was custom-made to perfection.
I dove deeper into the lake, my hand reaching toward the bottom where something smooth caught my fingers.
"Puh-ha!"
I surfaced, gasping, and opened my palm.
A small red stone lay there—the size of a thumbnail—perfectly smooth and heart-shaped, as though someone had carefully carved it over time.
"...It's beautiful," I whispered.
*Would this be enough?*
Thirty minutes later, when I showed Madame Marcel and Hannah, they responded in perfect unison:
"No!"
---