By Zephyria 
“I don’t know what you want to talk about, but if it’s something you can’t say here, I don’t want to hear it ever.”
I gently but firmly shook off Frederick’s grip on my wrist, cutting him off sharply. Frederick’s eyes then sank into a deep abyss, like a lost child.
“I have something to give you. It’ll only take a moment, so, please?”
Of all the days, he has something to give me today? The timing is too good. I had a bad feeling. Is he going to suddenly present a birthday gift now? If so, he’s a bigger idiot than I thought.
“Why? Is it a birthday present? No way… is it?”
There were many eyes watching, so the content of my words was quite cynical, but my gaze towards Frederick and the voice that leaked between my lips were only gentle. The idiot in front of me, as if caught by the tail of my doubt, was too dazed by the gap to even think about answering yes or no, and just stood there awkwardly.
“Oh, Frederick. If my memory serves me correctly, you were definitely… actively in favor of handing over ‘my’ birthday, which you had been celebrating for over ten years, to Allen. Am I wrong?”
“…Noah, that’s…”
“How amusing. So, you’re going to give me a birthday present now?”
He had given me an entire building in the prime location of the capital for my seventeenth birthday, so I was curious to know what kind of amazing gift he had prepared this time. But that was it. I had long since graduated from being in a position where I was short of money, so I wanted to throw away whatever gift he gave me on the dirt floor without even unwrapping it.
“Sorry, I don’t think I need it. Whatever it is, have fun with it yourself. If it’s too good to waste, give it to Allen. Oh, did you buy Allen a building somewhere too?”
Frederick’s face grew paler and paler as if he were being beaten all over with my harsh words. It’s just a few words. I guarantee that my pain, when I was grabbed by the hair by a trained knight and slapped until my cheeks burst, was much more severe.
“How… how did we end up like this?”
So, I can’t see the current Frederick Hamilton, who hasn’t done anything seriously wrong yet, as innocent. Whether I was framed or not, his blind fist that struck my head was consistently brutal each time, and each time, I was caught by my still unrusted pride and never cried comfortably when it hurt. But, he’s already tearing up from just hearing these few words?
As the saying goes, great expectations lead to great disappointment. That’s right, I liked Frederick. I loved him as family. That’s why I resent and hate him even more.
“Too bad. I’m not curious about that anymore, but it seems you’re still curious, Frederick.”
“Noah…”
When I answered with a smile, Frederick’s verdant eyes, which resembled the Countess so much, filled with shimmering tears. I was about to turn around and leave Frederick alone when.
‘System’ asks if you should give him a chance one last time.
Give who a chance? Frederick Hamilton? Hey, you know everything I’ve been through, how can you say such bullshit…!
Calm down, Noah.
‘System’ actively clarifies that it is not telling you to forgive him.
Today’s recommended skill! How about using ‘Hit and Run’?
(・ꈊ・)˚yeah!!
Hit and run…? So, that thing that Frederick prepared as a ‘birthday’ gift?
That’s right.
A strong feeling that there is a gift prepared that will be quite helpful to you!
Even the System is laying the groundwork so openly, it’s even more suspicious. Should I just ignore it and leave? But then, I made up my mind.
Okay… I’ll just check what it is, even if I’m being deceived. If I don’t like it, I don’t have to accept it.
“I’m tired today, so I won’t stay at the Banquet Hall until the end and will leave early when the timing is right.”
“Huh…?”
“If you bring that thing you want to give me while I’m at the Banquet Hall, I’ll check what it is.”
“……!”
“If it doesn’t meet my expectations, I might make it a joke in front of everyone. Is that okay?”
“It, it’s okay. That’s enough! Thank you, thank you, Noah!”
Anyway, he was too transparent. Frederick, whose expression brightened up, repeatedly thanked me, grabbed my hand, and shook it up and down, then ran out in a hurry without looking back. Only I, who remained as his partner, was thrown into everyone’s gaze by his uncouth behavior.
“Ah……”
Because Frederick ran away in the middle of the dance floor, the surrounding gazes asking what was going on were too clear. I briefly looked around, and without panicking, slowly swept back my disheveled hair with my hand and muttered.
“What to do, Frederick left, so the partner seat for today’s Banquet is empty……”
“……!”
“……!”
The effect of the bait was excellent. The Alphas in the Banquet Hall, who were all rumored to become at least a Grand Duchess and at most an Empress, lit up their eyes and slowly approached me when the Dominant Omega openly advertised that he was looking for a partner for today. As expected, Allen, the main character of today, was not showing any presence at all.
“Little Duke Noah, do you perhaps remember me? I went on a mission with Frederick before……”
“Little Duke, Little Duke! I sent you a Lanfield Mountain Steed for your birthday last year, are you riding it well?”
“Nice to meet you. If I may introduce myself…!”
I chose the one who seemed to have the loosest lips and was the most frivolous among the Alphas who gathered like bees and held out my hand. Quite coincidentally, it was Sir Eagleton, who had gifted me Randy, the horse with the useless effects of adding Randy’s Blessing to the Blessing of the Ocean.
“Sir Eagleton, would you do me the honor of a dance during the next dance time?”
“Ah……. Little Duke Noah……!”
He proudly took my outstretched hand and, as we moved to a seat by the terrace, rattled off information I hadn’t even asked for, such as how desperately he had been longing for me since he accidentally saw me from afar and how carefully he had chosen the horse to give me as a gift. Well, I think I chose the right person.
After taking a seat by the window on the terrace with Sir Eagleton, I kept fiddling with the Blessing of the Ocean while continuing the conversation. Before long, Sir Eagleton took the bait.
“By the way, Little Duke. That blue diamond necklace you’re wearing now is……”
“Ah. Did you recognize it? It’s the ‘Blessing of the Ocean’.”
“Ah, ah, no, isn’t that a precious item that should be in the Imperial Family’s treasure vault…!”
“Someone belonging to the Imperial Family bestowed it upon me. I’m only telling you this, so you have to keep it a secret, okay?”
“Of course. I don’t know how to express my gratitude for trusting me like this. Edward Eagleton swears on my admiration for Little Duke Noah and my honor! I will keep this secret until I die…!”
Sir Eagleton’s voice was quite solemn, but that was it. After a short break, I danced one song with Sir Eagleton during the next dance time and said goodbye, and less than an hour later. Everyone in the Banquet Hall gaped at the Blessing of the Ocean around my neck. As expected, Sir Eagleton was a gentleman among gentlemen, befitting the owner of a horse that only knew how to bestow blessings of the riding position.
*
Frederick, who seemed like he would come soon, didn’t seem to think about coming back, and the Banquet Hall, where guests were starting to leave one by one, was deserted. Since there were hardly any high-ranking nobles in attendance, those who came to expect connections quickly assessed the situation and decided to return home early. Among those who attended today, excluding my family, the only high-ranking noble was the Little Duke of the Grachio Ducal House, who attended due to his connection with Andrew. Beatrice’s incompetent older brother, whom she grinds her teeth at so much.
Beatrice had long been glaring at Allen, saying that if he was a real son, he was a real son, so why should she give up even what I had enjoyed so far. She vented her anger this morning by sending a gift to our mansion with the phrase ‘Happy Birthday, Noah!’ written in large letters.
Anyway, it’s just past midnight now. In a normal Banquet, the excitement would be at its peak, but Allen’s birthday Banquet was truly bleak.
“Hmm……. Should I go in now?”
I didn’t particularly want to dance, there was no one I needed to impress and score points with, and even making Allen feel small by attracting everyone’s attention wasn’t fun. Was it because Allen showed no signs of being affected?
I had been in the garden for about thirty minutes, counting the stars in the night sky.
“Sigh, forget it. Let’s just go in.”
What’s the point of checking a gift I won’t receive anyway? I was about to shake off my butt and get up when.
“Noah! You were here, I’ve been looking for you!”
“Frederick…? Why do you look like that…?”
Frederick, who looked quite shiny in the Imperial Knights’ uniform when he stormed out of the Banquet Hall, suddenly appeared in a grimy state, as if he had been playing in the dirt somewhere.
“Ah, it’s been a long time since I hid the thing, so I had some trouble finding it again. That’s not important……”
Frederick smiled shyly and thrust the thing he had brought with him in front of my eyes. I reflexively took a few steps back and checked the identity of the thing.
What he had so confidently prepared as a birthday gift was an ugly bear doll with its fur all matted. It was a much more shabby item than the building I received two years ago, but I couldn’t even bring myself to refuse it. My determination not to accept any great valuables melted away like snow.
“This is……”
That ugly bear doll was my cherished doll that I had treasured so much in this life. I had been hugging it tightly since before I was registered in the Hamilton main family, but one day, the Countess took it away because it wasn’t a toy that ‘Noah’ had, and I never got it back……. My very first friend in this world.