Chapter 404 9th Birthday I
The last time Sara celebrated her birthday was when she was 7, and her parents were still alive. So, her 8th birthday went by without anyone celebrating it, and now she was turning 9 today.
Sara had taken a bath in the morning and was all shiny and clean. After that, she got a full-body massage. Just a little bit of makeup was put on her, and her shiny silver hair was styled in a half-up braid.
"I knew Milady Sara was beautiful, but dressed up like this, you look more like royalty than nobility. You're like a little queen."
"Maria, I know you're joking, but that comment is a bit unsettling. If you're not careful, people might think we're plotting to take the throne. Servants of high nobility need to be careful with their words."
"I-I'm sorry."
Maria, who had been in a cheerful mood since morning, realized her mistake after Sara's warning. She reminded herself that she couldn't be a servant who puts her master in a difficult position with careless words.
'I never thought just dressing up would make me feel so powerful.'
Sara couldn't help but smile wryly as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"Still, Lucas really went all out with this dress. The detailed embroidery makes it heavy."
"It seems the costume department of Grandchester Castle helped a lot too."
"I can't believe they put so much effort into a dress that I'll outgrow soon."
"Milady Sara, daughters of high nobility don't wear the same dress multiple times."
"That's ridiculous."
Finally, they placed a tiara with various magic stones on her head and secured it so it wouldn't slip off.
"It's a beautiful tiara."
"Teresa gave it as my birthday present. I want to call it her masterpiece, but she needed help from a metalworker friend because she isn't very skilled in metalworking. I had given her some small magic stones for her research on lipstick containers, but she had extra stones left. I told her she could use them as she liked, but I didn't expect her to make a tiara. She is a talented craftsman. I plan to order lipstick containers from her workshop in the future."
"Won't that take away Ms. Teresa's work?"
"I want Teresa to make what she really wants instead of forcing her to do something she's not good at. In the end, I had to leave the distillation furnace to Fran."
"What does Ms. Teresa want to make?"
"She wants to make weapons."
"Speaking of which, Ms. Teresa made Milady Sara's weapon too, right?"
"Actually, I'm planning to have her develop a weapon that can be attached under a dress."
"How do you pull that out?"
"You'd have to lift your skirt."
"A lady would do that?"
"I'd only pull it out in a real emergency. After all, I'm a lady. But I do want to train to pull it out quickly."
"But Milady Sara, you don't attach it under your skirt, right?"
"Of course not. It's faster to pull it out from spatial storage."
"Then why develop a weapon to attach under a dress?"
"My weapon is really just a backup for emergencies, but I think it could be useful for self-defense for others too. I think Marg would be willing to train together to fight in a dress."
Maria looked at Sara with a gaze that seemed to say she was worried about a troubled child, her expression a mix of a wry smile and a frown.
"I sincerely hope there won't be any sword fights at the birthday party."
"Maria, you're worrying too much. There are plenty of kids attending, so no one will do anything reckless."
"I really hope that's true..."
"I won't go wild in front of strangers."
"I've heard you picked a fight with the king, though?"
"That was! ...It couldn't be helped?"
With a deep sigh, Maria gently shook her head and silently began to put away the cosmetics and accessories she had spread out, saying nothing more.
"Hey, say something!"
"I don't think anything I say as a mere maid will change Milady Sara's actions at this point."
Just then, they heard a knock at the door. It was Rebecca who had come to visit.
"Let's speak a little more quietly, ladies. Your voices could be heard all the way in the hallway."
"I'm sorry."
"Maria's worries are valid. You mustn't forget that today's venue is not the Grandchester estate."
"Yes, Mother."
"Most of the guests have met at the hunting tournament, so it would be rude to mix up names, but you should be fine since Sedrick is with you."
Inspired by Rebecca's words, Sedrick suddenly appeared behind Sara in his small form.
"Leave it to me. I'll whisper names and interests to you."
"Sedrick, you weren't there while I was changing, were you?"
"Don't worry. I have been monitoring the information from the fairies' space. Currently, in the royal palace, the second prince's daughter is upset and wants to go somewhere. She is lying on her back in front of Prince Andrew, moving her arms and legs wildly."
"Buuh!"
Imagining that situation, Sara couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"The reason the second prince's family wasn't at the royal banquet the other day is..."
"The 5-year-old princess is very spoiled. She often throws terrible tantrums, so her parents and the ladies-in-waiting are at their wits' end."
"The second prince's daughter is Princess Mathilda, right? I heard she's really important because she's the first princess born in a long time."
"The princess born before her is Princess Barbara, the king's sister, so there have been almost 50 years of only boys. Because of that, people think she might have been overly pampered."
"Being spoiled, huh? But you know, a 5-year-old thinks in their own way, and I believe there are reasons for their tantrums. They have a different perspective than adults, right?"
"Hehe. Hearing that from an 8-year-old is quite convincing."
"Don't you remember when you were a little prince, Mother? It's a pity to just label her as spoiled. Being born into royalty means there are many things you can't do freely."
"That might be true."
Sara tilted her head slightly.
"Since today is my birthday party, the guests are based on me, right?"
"That's right."
"Then there will be a lot of kids among the guests, right?"
"About 60% of the guests are minors, aged 3 to 15. The gender ratio among minors is 6:4, with more girls."
Even though it's a children's birthday party, for nobles, it's an event for socializing. Parents or family heads select the guests. If the child is not engaged, they invite a same-age friend of the opposite gender from a similar social background. If the child is engaged, they balance the number of boys and girls. Children do not attend alone; they come with guardians. This allows parents to socialize, which is a key part of the event.
"That's because I asked them to invite mainly women who will help Chloe form a faction, right?"
"That's true, but as a mother, I was a bit worried if the guests for my daughter's birthday were okay."
"Chloe is the daughter of the Grandchester family, after all. Isn't it the duty of the branch family to support her fully?"
"You've become quite noble in a short time."
"I'm not trying to be noble; I just want to have powerful nobles as allies as a merchant."
"Considering your qualities, I think you're more suited to be a queen."
"That's a misunderstanding. The main point is that a queen's most important duty is to have a child, specifically a son, because only boys can inherit the throne. This creates a lot of pressure on queens to marry and have a healthy boy. While some women may desire to be queens, the responsibilities can be quite challenging."
"If you only look at the glamorous side, isn't it a maiden's dream?"
"Didn't Little Prince Revi get proposed to by a prince from a neighboring country?"
"Ugh... but in my case, I was a concubine."
"Well, the other party hasn't married the main wife yet, and depending on mother, there's a chance mother could become Roisen's Crown Princess. That's why our Her Majesty the Queen has given mother royal education, right?"
"Wow, you know a lot."
As Rebecca showed a slightly flustered expression, Sedrick, who was standing nearby, smiled broadly.
"In the end, it might depend on whether you want that position or not. What's needed to endure that role is different for everyone, but at least Chloe loves Prince Andrew. I think that alone is a big advantage."
"I see. I hope Chloe's love comes true."
"--Honestly, Mother, with the influence of the Grandchester territory and the support of the Sophia Merchant Guild, I don't think it would be hard for her to become a princess. But even if she becomes a bride like that, I'm not sure if Chloe will be happy."
"So, if Prince Andrew doesn't love Chloe, she won't be happy?"
"That's part of it, but..."
Sara made an ambiguous expression that was neither a smile nor a frown, and fell silent for a moment, gazing out at the winter sky. Rebecca felt like she was looking at an older woman next to her.
"I'm not sure if I should say this to mother, who is about to get married, but..."
"It's fine. In fact, I feel like it's something I should ask."
"I don't believe in eternal love."
"You're only 9, and you say such unromantic things."
"People can change. Sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse. Chloe might struggle under the pressure from those around her, and her love could wear thin. In such times, Prince Andrew's love would be a support, but that really depends on him."
"That's true."
"Maybe they will be in love and have happy days forever. If that happens, it would be wonderful. But if, a few years later, Prince Andrew's heart shifts to another woman, the pain from their past love will hurt even more. If their relationship was just a political marriage from the start, it might not hurt as much. Of course, Chloe might change her heart too."
"You're being pessimistic."
"Mother, you know that marriage is not the end goal, right?"
"Of course, I understand."
"Two people will spend more time as a couple than they have lived so far. Don't you think it's unrealistic to rely only on a sweet first love from childhood to endure the pressures of the royal life?"
"I have to admit that."
"In the end, it's up to Chloe to find a balance, but I want to support her and place allies around her so she doesn't break."
Sara, who had been looking out the window, turned to Rebecca and smiled brightly. However, that expression didn't seem like it belonged to a 9-year-old.
"Anyway, it's true that there are many young ladies, so it shouldn't be a problem if Princess Mathilda comes. We should expect a message from a troubled Prince Andrew soon. The young princess will also hold power as a royal woman in the future. It's best to get along with her now."
However, Prince Andrew managed to shake off Princess Mathilda and decided to attend Sara's birthday party alone. The party had many royal guests, which complicated security arrangements. The second prince realized it would be hard to change the security system on the event day, so he picked up the crying Mathilda to help calm her down.
Sara felt disappointed upon hearing the news, but Princess Mathilda was even more upset. The princess understood that the Sophia Merchant Guild played a big role in Sara's birthday party. She saw it as a chance for girls her age to see the latest items. It would have been nice if this was just a misunderstanding, but the truth was that her understanding was accurate, which created a significant issue.
Princess Mathilda was upset that other noble girls were learning new things. In her frustration, she destroyed her pillow, causing feathers to scatter everywhere. She then knocked over a vase of flowers, making a mess in the room. Next, she threw a picture book at the window, breaking the glass, and bit her nurse's hand when she tried to intervene. This bite made Mathilda's front baby tooth a bit loose.
Later, the second prince's wife heard about Princess Mathilda's behavior. To calm her down, she contacted the Sophia Merchant Guild and instructed her Lady-in-Waiting to get the 'souvenirs' from Sara's birthday party. This helped to ease Mathilda's tantrum.
'Haah... I never expected that my daughter would be so obsessed with the products from the Sophia Merchant Guild. The Grandchester family didn't see this coming either. I should have at least sent a letter.'
The Second Prince's Wife looked around the messy room of her daughter and let out a deep, deep sigh.
'It seems like we're going to cause some trouble for both the Sophia Merchant Guild and the Grandchester family. Maybe it would be okay to make the Sophia Merchant Guild our go-to supplier. I should consult with Her Majesty the Queen to see if we can arrange something else.'
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