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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Magic Pens and a Bittersweet Birthday
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“So, what is this again?”
Lellia and her four friends sat around a table, staring at the mysterious fountain pen placed upon it.
The fountain pen was clearly a luxury item, studded with a jewel that gave it an extraordinary air.
Romeo was the one who had brought it.
“I asked my father to have them specially made. It’s a bit early, but they’re a gift for all of you who will be returning to your home countries.”
“But what were you saying earlier? You said it was enchanted.”
At Lellia’s question, Romeo chuckled and swept back his golden hair. Then he said, puffing out his chest a little.
“These are fountain pens that allow the five of us to share messages. When one of us writes something, it will be delivered to all five.”
“Wow!”
Lellia exclaimed in admiration. It was a gift befitting the prince of a mighty magical nation.
Romeo gave a short demonstration. As he wrote on a piece of paper, a new sheet appeared next to each of the other four fountain pens.
Romeo: This is my gift.
Furthermore, because of the names engraved on the fountain pens, they could tell who had written the message.
“Wicked.”
Calix, too, was delighted, finding it fascinating. Oscar and Griffith also seemed pleased with the gift.
“So, make sure you all write when you go back. Oh, and the jewel at the end is a magic stone. Be careful not to take it out, or you won’t be able to send and receive letters.”
At Romeo’s words, Lellia smiled brightly and looked at the fountain pen.
‘Right, I should use this diligently until the Crown Prince officially dies.’
As she made this resolution, Lellia kept glancing at Calix, who was sitting across from her.
Perhaps because she had been thinking about his future yesterday, she found herself paying more attention to him today. Especially those amber eyes.
“Hey, Captain Crybaby. What have you been glaring at me for?”
“Who are you calling a crybaby?!”
“You’re not? ‘Guuuys, even without meee… you all haaave to… *hic*...’”
Calix obnoxiously teased her, imitating Lellia from when she had cried before. Lellia couldn’t stand it anymore, uncapped her fountain pen, and lunged at him.
“I’ll kill you!”
“Ca-calm down, Leo!”
Oscar and Griffith each grabbed one of Lellia’s arms, holding her back.
The next day, Lellia celebrated her real birthday with her friends.
Her friends, not knowing whose birthday it was, celebrated the day together at her request.
It was the last birthday she would spend with her friends.
They gathered in the living room of her quarters, placed a birthday cake on the table, and lit the candles.
“Thanks for celebrating with me, guys.”
Lellia smiled at them as she blew out the candles.
“She’s crying again.”
At Calix’s words, her eyes shot wide open.
“Whose birthday is it anyway that you’re crying over it?”
“D-don’t tell me… a dead girlfriend…?”
Griffith and Oscar asked one after another, but Lellia shouted, “I’m not crying!” and wiped at her eyes.
Tears had welled up, perhaps because she was thinking it was the last birthday they would spend together.
“Don’t tell me, Leo, you don’t have a mom either? Is today actually your real mom’s birthday or something?”
“……”
At Romeo’s question, Lellia stared at him with a sour expression.
*Hey, how dare you say something like that…*
‘Huh? Now that I think about it…’
Lellia blinked, looking around at her friends. As it turned out…
‘This is literally the no-moms club!’
When Oscar was young, he lost his mother at the hands of his psycho emperor father.
Calix, on the other hand, had never even seen his parents’ faces, as they had both passed away as soon as he was born.
And Griffith didn’t have a birth mother either. He only had a stepmother who hated him.
Even Romeo’s mother had committed suicide in front of her son when he was a child.
Finally, Lellia’s own mother had also passed away.
“……”
Lellia stopped crying abruptly and started eating her cake. The other boys didn’t press the matter.
For some reason, the thought of looking like she was crying over her mother in front of them made her feel terribly sorry.
They were all children with such tragic stories that you couldn’t even rank who was more unfortunate.
However, Lellia still thought her own situation was a little better.
At least she remembered her past life and knew what would happen in the future.
Besides, in a few years, her friends would participate in the Mad Dragon subjugation and go through absolute hell.
“Thank you. For celebrating with me.”
Lellia said with a smile to her friends, who were eating cake.
She wanted to tell them the truth—that it was her birthday—but she kept her lips sealed.
‘Next year, I’ll be spending it alone again.’
Lellia pushed aside the lonely thought and made a vow. In the time they had left, she would make even more memories that she would never forget.
