By Zephyria 
“That’s ridiculous! Of course we should open it together!”
Nicole’s angry shout filled the wide room and was loud enough to echo all the way to the hallway. Ouch, my ears hurt. Having expected this reaction from the beginning, I blocked both ears with my fingers and only lowered my hands slightly when it seemed that Nicole had finished shouting.
“Have you finished shouting now?”
“Ugh, Young Master!”
It was a sound of dying from frustration. I smiled exaggeratedly innocently and rubbed my cheek against Nicole’s shoulder.
“Hey. Don’t be angry. I’m already upset, are you going to be like this too?”
“Ugh, ugh, ugh, aaaaaagh…!”
Nicole trembled all over while suppressing his voice, but he couldn’t bring himself to push away me, who was upset, and stomped his feet.
“But, but, but…. This, huh? This is really not it, it’s not like you’re holding a joint birthday Banquet Hall, but this year you’re going to hold it solely for Allen Young Master!”
It was I who burst Nicole, who was usually docile and gentle unless it was something related to me, into a fit of anger this time as well. To be exact, it was I who declared that I would give my nineteenth birthday party to Allen altogether.
As the New Year’s Ball passed and the cold days were about to loosen up, a problem that everyone in the Count Hamilton household was subtly concerned about emerged. It was the question of how to hold my birthday party this year.
As it was a birthday party of a noble family, and especially a Dominant Omega whom everyone was eager to get on the good side of, preparations for my birthday celebration usually began months in advance. So everyone was diligently preparing without complaint… So, who is the main character of this year’s party? It was difficult for anyone to speak up easily.
In principle, it was simple. Allen and I could be the main characters of the birthday party together, or I could celebrate my birthday as usual, and Allen could celebrate his birthday separately.
Until now, the day we had been celebrating as a birthday was the day Allen was born, and all the identities I had been using had been enjoyed in place of his. However, the problem was that no matter how thoroughly the documents were prepared when I was adopted, my birthday, that is, the birthday before I became ‘Noah,’ did not remain anywhere in this world.
My only blood relative was my maternal grandfather from a collateral line, and he had already passed away a long time ago. There was no way I, as a child, could remember my birthday. It was only natural since I had grown up thoroughly as ‘Noah.’ If it weren’t for Andrew, who would pick a fight every time he saw me, saying that I was not his younger brother and that someone like me could never replace his real younger brother, I would have grown up thinking that I was a real son of this house. Hmm… Thinking about it that way, even Andrew in his wild days was subtly helpful…?
“What useless thoughts are you having again? You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Sigh… It’s nothing. I have to keep my wits about me… At this rate, you’ll even take off the clothes you’re wearing and give them to Allen.”
Nicole’s listless voice made me smile weakly. It was just nice to have someone get angry on my behalf, even though it was okay to just give away a fake birthday. Even if it looked like I was just being immature, that was how I really felt.
Nicole naturally thought that I would hold a joint birthday party with Allen. Not only Nicole but everyone else thought so, and the point of contention was who would be the main ‘protagonist’ of the party…
‘It’s okay, Father. I know very well that the days I’ve been happily spending with the blessings of my family were actually Allen’s share. This year is Allen’s first birthday since he came back, and we’ll be together until the Day of Blessing. I can’t be so insensitive as to interfere as his brother on such a precious day. I’m really okay. I’ll step aside.’
This morning. Everyone in the mansion was surprised and fell over at my sudden declaration.
‘Oh my gosh, he’s grown up to be such a good child…! It was worth raising him…!’
My mother, no, the Countess, seemed more pleased than surprised… Anyway.
“Don’t you have any desires, Young Master? Aren’t you angry? Did you take some kind of entrance exam to become a priest without me knowing? Would you just laugh it off even if I stole all of your assets and eloped?”
“Oh, are you going to do that?”
“I’m really going to do that someday.”
“Yeah, yeah. Be sure to do that. Got it? Oh! If you’re going to elope, tell me where you’re going. We can still write letters even if you go far away. Oh, or will you take me with you?”
“…Never mind. I don’t know.”
Seeing her sulky face made me want to tease her even more. It wasn’t like I was just recklessly giving everything away without a plan… If I teased her any more, Nicole’s swollen cheeks might burst. I had to be honest about what I could be honest about.
“Cheer up, Nicole. Actually, as you know… That day isn’t really my birthday.”
“…That’s true.”
“I don’t want to have a birthday party on the same day forever, either.”
“……That… is, true?”
“You have to keep it a secret. Really, just you?”
I repeatedly told her to keep it a secret, then gently held and released Nicole’s pinky finger. This was Nicole and my own sign to spread the rumor far and wide so that everyone, including you, me, and even our distant relatives, would know, even though I said, ‘Keep it a secret just to you.’
“Yes. Of course. Where else would you find a servant as tight-lipped as me?”
“Actually, His Highness the Crown Prince… is asking if he should move Allen’s birthday to another day because he doesn’t think it would be good for the day of the Crown Princess’s birthday celebration or the future Empress’s birthday celebration to overlap with another brother’s.”
“H-His Highness?”
Allen looked at me in disbelief, wiggling the pinky finger he was holding. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe what I was saying, but he was asking if it was okay to spread the word about my relationship with the Crown Prince like this. I nodded, continuing to speak in silence. After all, the scales of power had already tilted toward the Crown Prince. Duke Grachio could no longer be a major obstacle to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince had also hinted that it was okay to reveal it little by little… Well… Since the plan to check the Crown Prince with Carlisle had gone awry… It seemed better for me to officially have a powerful person on my side, as it would be easier for me to move around.
“Yeah, His Highness. Anyway, that’s the day Allen was born, so I thought it would be a bit much to move it. So I said I would move mine.”
“Oh, to when?”
“Well. I haven’t decided exactly, but maybe about a month after Allen’s birthday party?”
Originally, since I was moving it anyway, I wanted to move it to the date of my birthday in my previous life, which I celebrated with the System. But this stingy thing, how could I let everyone know about the memories that only the two of us knew…? He was making such a fuss, such a fuss…
You heartless man!
ਉ_ਉ
The System protests that it was not a noisy fuss but a legitimate expression of disappointment!
Yes, yes. I understand, Mr. Stingy.
“Anyway, he said that when the exact date is set, he’ll hold a grand celebration, even combining it with the announcement of the Crown Princess, so calm down.”
“Hmph… Well, if that’s the case, then I…”
Her cheeks, which had been puffed up like a poisoned pufferfish, were gradually flattening out. If our Little Count, who had even given up his successor’s room, found out about this, I thought he would be quite upset…
“Chuckles.”
“Is there something exciting? You’re smiling in a very mean way.”
“There is, something like that.”
“Aren’t you keeping too many secrets from me?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll tell you everything. Someday, when the waves have all passed.”
I just smiled brightly, looking at Nicole, who had a hint of worry on her face.
Even though it meant nothing to me, the room I used and the birthday I had been celebrating were things that could be sensitive enough if I were to be sensitive about them. What’s more, after Allen came back, the Countess’s attitude toward me had changed quite noticeably, even if my father hadn’t. Anyway, in the process of experiencing such things, I didn’t show any disappointment or sadness and took a step back first like an adult, so my father seemed to feel a certain amount of guilt.
He even called me aside after breakfast this morning to ask if there was anything else I wanted, so it was clear that he did. And how pitiful was the pitiful look in his eyes as he looked at something pitiful.
‘Then… then, Father…’
I decided to take advantage of the eyes of a parent who pitied their pitiful child.
‘I’m happy to give up everything else. It’s because I was just lucky to have been enjoying Allen’s things without any shame… However, the Bartolo Vineyard I inherited before.’
It was time to hit the jackpot.
‘Can you guarantee that to me for sure? I’m sorry… I know very well that it was also prepared to celebrate Allen’s birth… While Frederick was away on duty in the south, I must have become attached to it while reading the news he diligently sent me in letters.’
Originally, it was said that the fate of the protagonist was to pick up jewels even when falling backward and discover gold mines even when falling forward. Right near the particularly fertile Bartolo Vineyard…
‘Oh, of course, my dear. I will personally guarantee this. Not even your mother’s faint sobs will be able to take it away from you.’
A diamond mine that no one had discovered was quietly sleeping.