That was when I instinctively took a step backward, my heart hammering.
"Ta-da! Surprise party!"
Lamia's cheerful shout rang through the darkness.
Suddenly, candles flickered to life—one by one, then dozens at once. They appeared on the table, along the walls, in elegant holders atop every piece of furniture.
The room blazed with warm, golden light.
As the shadows retreated, figures hidden in the darkness came into view.
"What... what is this...?"
There were several people standing in my room.
Callius and Granada. Mainz and Alex. Even Latina, the chef.
It was the first time my chambers had been this crowded since the very first day I'd arrived.
Lamia gently took my arm and guided me—still frozen in confusion—to sit at the table.
The table had been transformed.
Beautifully decorated dishes filled the surface, their aromas mingling in the air. Delicately crafted silverware gleamed in the candlelight. And at the center of it all stood a crystal vase filled with night-blooming Leknes flowers, their golden petals unfurled in full, radiant bloom.
"Ah..."
I couldn't help the soft gasp of wonder that escaped my lips.
"When... when on earth did you prepare all this...?"
My throat felt tight. I could barely finish the sentence.
I've been in the bedroom just across the door this entire time. How did they do this without me noticing?
As I took my seat at the table, the others settled around me—each finding a place with easy familiarity.
"What is all this? What kind of party...?"
I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.
Mainz answered with a warm chuckle.
"The master arranged it. He wanted to create a special occasion to thank you for all your hard work in Ronheim."
I turned to look at Callius, my vision already blurring with tears.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
A party. Just for me?
It was something I had never even imagined could happen.
Callius reached over and gently wiped the tears from my cheeks with his handkerchief, his smile tender and affectionate.
"Do you like it, Chloe?"
"Yes! I really, really love it!"
"That's all I needed to hear."
I looked around at the people gathered here.
Every single one of them was smiling at me. Even Granada, who usually wore such a stern expression, had a warmth in his eyes tonight that made my chest ache.
They're happy because I'm happy.
I had never known so many people could love me.
The emptiness I'd felt after the awkward encounter with the knights—that hollow ache—was suddenly overflowing with warmth instead.
Before I knew it, I was smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
"It feels just like a holiday!"
Latina stood up cheerfully and carved a large roast goose with practiced precision, placing the most tender slices onto my plate.
"We eat roast goose on holidays in Ronheim. Try it—the meat is incredibly tender. It's roasted whole using a special family recipe."
I cut a small piece and tasted it. The flavor was exquisite—rich and savory, with herbs I couldn't name.
Latina watched me with bright, expectant eyes.
"It's delicious. Truly delicious."
"I knew you'd like it! This is a dish I learned from my mother when I was only six years old. My mother's roast goose is the pride of Ronheim."
As Latina served portions to everyone else, Mainz nodded appreciatively.
"The roast goose made with Latina's mother's recipe is legendary in Ronheim Castle. By the way, Latina—how is your mother doing these days?"
"She's doing very well, thank you for asking."
"I still remember the hot onion soup your mother, Panima, used to make for us as a late-night snack when we were young knights."
Granada turned to me to explain.
"Latina's family has produced chefs at Ronheim Castle for generations. Panima was the previous head chef, but when she grew older, she retired and passed the position to Latina."
"Oh my. That's wonderful."
The conversation flowed naturally from there, drifting from topic to topic without any particular direction.
Then Latina heaped mashed potatoes and sweet beans onto my plate and turned to Callius with a mock-stern expression.
"Master, are you still picking out your green beans? You've been doing that since you were a little boy! Even my three-year-old grandson eats them without complaint. You're a grown man now—picky eating is bad for you!"
I saw Callius's hand tremble slightly as he held his fork.
He responded with utmost politeness.
"They're something to be... treasured and eaten sparingly."
At that poor excuse, Lamia—who had been hastily chewing a mouthful of goose—burst into laughter.
"Lamia! What are you doing, laughing so rudely?"
Granada tried to reprimand her, but it was no use. Lamia only laughed harder.
Callius quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, this eggplant dish is truly exquisite. Did the knights bring it back this time?"
Mainz shook his head.
"There were no eggplants among the supplies the knights purchased. These must have been grown in the castle greenhouse."
Latina turned to me with a proud smile.
"Have you been to the greenhouse at Ronheim Castle, my lady?"
"Yes, I visited it once recently."
"That greenhouse was built by my grandfather! It allows us to grow various fresh vegetables in Ronheim during the couple of months when the weather is milder."
Hearing that, I turned to Callius with a sudden thought.
"If we built greenhouses like this throughout the territory, wouldn't the residents be able to eat nutritious vegetables more often?"
Callius shook his head, looking genuinely regretful.
"Building a greenhouse requires a great deal of glass, and frankly, I don't have the budget for it. Besides, it's not cost-effective. It's far more efficient to source produce from outside."
"Ah... I see."
I nodded in understanding.
Callius leaned toward me, lifting his napkin.
"Hold still for a moment."
It seemed some food had smudged at the corner of my mouth. He wiped my lips carefully, his touch gentle.
I glanced over and saw Lamia watching us with a mischievous grin.
Before I could silently plead with her to stop, she started making a scene.
"Oh, how sweet you two are! The master's gaze is completely fixed on you, my lady—he can't look away! How wonderful! You're newlyweds, you're newlyweds!"
Then she leaned over and whispered loudly to Alex, who had been sitting quietly and smiling the entire time.
"Close your mouth, Sir Alex. You're going to start drooling."
Even though she whispered, everyone heard it.
Alex, who had indeed been staring at Callius and me with a dreamy expression, suddenly panicked and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
His face turned bright red.
Under the table, I tried to step on Lamia's foot to get her to stop.
She yelped.
"Why are you stepping on my foot?! Oh, my lady seems shy."
Then she looked back at Mainz and Latina and giggled.
To my dismay, instead of scolding her, they laughed along.
Even Alex, noticing everyone else's laughter, couldn't help but join in.
"Lamia!"
I couldn't stand it any longer. My face was burning as I glared at her.
That's when it happened.
"Pfft."
Granada—who had been eating quietly the entire time—suddenly burst into laughter.
Betrayed! By the one person I trusted most!
But this time, everyone erupted into genuine, unrestrained laughter—perhaps because they found my betrayed expression so amusing.
"Everyone...! Stop laughing! Why—why are you all laughing?!"
It took a long time to get them to calm down.
"Why on earth are you laughing...?"
It felt so strange that people would laugh whenever I made a sad or indignant face.
Then Lamia picked up the bottle of wine on the table.
"You left this out for us to drink, didn't you?"
The atmosphere grew even warmer when good wine was added to the delicious food.
When the main courses were nearly finished, Latina clapped her hands as if she'd just remembered something.
"Oh! There's also pumpkin pie with meringue for dessert, so don't eat too much!"
We talked for what felt like hours.
Stories about each other's families. Light tales from childhood. Reminiscences about food and favorite memories.
I looked around at the people laughing and chatting, and felt something strange and inexplicable swelling in my chest.
This feeling...
It was unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable. Not awkward. Not burdensome.
I was amazed at myself—sitting here, laughing, engaging in such ordinary small talk.
In my past life, I had countless fantasies about moments like this.
What would it feel like to laugh with others? What kind of conversations would we have?
But I died without ever knowing the answers, because those fantasies never became reality.
Now, at this very moment, my imagination had finally come to life. All my questions from the past had been answered.
I never knew this feeling of joy could be so sweet. That trivial conversations could be so delightful.
My heart felt full—overflowing with warmth I had never known before.
Tonight was the most beautiful night of my life.
I will continue to love Ronheim.
Since I came here, every day had been like a wonderful gift.
This was a dreamlike time—too precious to let slip away.
I was drunk on sweet wine and sweeter happiness, wishing desperately that this moment could last forever.
Please. Let every day be filled with only happy things like this.
Little did I know what would happen to me the next day.
To be continued...
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