Chapter 1031

A birthday. To Yuder, that was an endlessly unfamiliar word.

Among the commoners of the Orr Empire, once they grew up and aged, few bothered to mention their birth date or celebrate it with anyone other than family. Even among the Cavalry members—most of whom came from commoner backgrounds—almost no one made a point of observing their own birthday.

Where Yuder had grown up, in a mountainous region in the central provinces, that tendency was even stronger. His grandfather, for instance, had never once properly revealed the exact date of his own birthday before he died.

Whenever young Yuder's birthday approached, his grandfather would sometimes prepare a slightly better meal than usual or handcraft a small item for him. But that was all. After his grandfather passed, Yuder lived on barely registering the concept of that word.

That hadn’t changed even in his previous life, during the time when he was regarded as standing at the pinnacle of power. Gifts sent arbitrarily by those trying to curry favor with him were merely a nuisance, and he couldn’t understand why anyone made such a fuss over what was, after all, just another day. Even when he was mocked by those who disliked him for failing to hide the “poor man’s stink” characteristic of a commoner, Yuder had only clung more stubbornly to his beliefs.

“Why should I listen to people whose only claim to fame is being born? Just because I was granted a title and became a noble doesn’t mean I have to live like one of them.”

Being lumped in with people like that only made him all the more averse to things like birthdays. To him, his birthday—and anyone else’s—was nothing more than a worthless piece of information not worth remembering.

There was only one exception. Only once had Emperor Kachien deliberately pinpointed someone’s birthday and issued a “special mission” because of it.

A vague echo of Kachien’s smiling voice surfaced in Yuder’s mind.

“—Winter will be over soon. This capital, thanks to its blessing, is never invaded by severe heat or cold, but in the north, I hear the wind still slices like a blade, and beasts freeze to death. That desolate, barren time, with nothing worth seeing, happens to be none other than the Duke of Peleta’s birthday. Did you know that?”

“No.”

“Didn’t he tell you? Well, that doesn’t matter. What’s important is the recurring intelligence that whenever that time approaches, that secretive traitor tends to isolate himself. For some unknown reason, as his birthday nears, he sends most people away and keeps only a minimal presence around. Just yesterday, there were already reports that the knights guarding the castle and estate had begun to withdraw. Who knows what filthy deeds he’s up to, acting so suspiciously.”

“......”

“If we miss this timing, we’ll have to wait another year for the next chance to visit the Duke of Peleta’s castle as quietly as possible. That’s not something I desire. Do you understand what I’m saying, Commander of the Cavalry?......”

“......”

“Very well. I’ll assign you a special mission. Show me your worth—give me a reason to keep the Cavalry.”

That was how Yuder received his first special mission.

Just as the Emperor had said, Peleta at that time was bitterly cold and desolate. Oddly enough, there was almost no one guarding it.

Even the Duke’s castle, perched atop cliffs battered by crashing waves, was no different. Yuder had expected at least Nathan Zuckerman, the Swordmaster and the Duke’s aide, to remain—but even he was nowhere to be found, and the place was simply quiet.

It was so dark, so cold, and so lonely that one would never guess it was the time leading up to the birthday of the last surviving noble-born member of the old royal line.

Yuder remembered up to the moment he donned a ragged black cloak and slipped into a secret passage through the aqueducts beneath the cliff—ready to risk death.

He shook his head to clear away the thoughts.

The cold that had enveloped him moments ago melted away in an instant. His vision brightened, his ears cleared, and the present came sharply back into focus.

He wasn’t standing in the dark halls of Peleta Castle.

He was in the heart of the Imperial Palace, where beautiful sparks from warm mana stone stoves danced in every direction.

‘...Right. Well, in any case... thanks to that, I ended up finding out when Kishiar’s birthday is.’

Had it not been for Emperor Kachien’s command, Yuder might never have known when, or in what season, he took that man’s life. That’s because in his previous life, during the one year Kishiar had spent with the Cavalry, he had never properly revealed any personal information. Yuder didn’t even know when Kishiar’s birthday was, or whether he had pushed people away on that occasion before heading to Peleta.

‘Still, this time is different...’

He was surprised to realize, only after hearing Emperor Keillusa’s words, that the thought hadn’t crossed his mind despite all the recent chaos.

He wondered if Kishiar himself truly didn’t remember. But looking at Kishiar’s back as he conversed with the Emperor made it impossible to discern what he was thinking.

‘......’

In the end, Yuder found himself heading to a meal with the Emperor, the Empress, Kishiar—and even Nathan Zuckerman.

The other Cavalry members, having not heard the conversation between the Emperor and Kishiar from the podium, seemed unbothered by the instruction to return on their own. Of course, Kanna and Kachien were exceptions. As Yuder was briefly speaking with the deputy commanders to ask them to lead the return, Kanna lowered her voice and asked:

“Are you okay, Yuder? I heard you’re going to eat with the Commander, but your eyes look a bit... different than usual. Did His Majesty say something to you...?”

He had, indeed. It just hadn’t been about Yuder himself.

Yuder looked down at Kanna, who had quickly picked up on a subtle change that others hadn’t noticed, then shifted his gaze. Kachien, standing nearby, looked over with eyes like a large dog whose tail had drooped—clearly worried in his own way.

Sensing the genuine concern from both of them brought swift clarity to the confusion swirling in his mind over this absurd and extraordinary situation. He shook his head toward them, indicating he was fine.

“It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later after I get back.”

He decided it wasn’t right for him to be the one to bring up the information, not before Kishiar himself did. Fortunately, both Kanna and Kachien accepted his words without pushing further.

“Hm... Alright. You have to tell me later, okay?”

The Cavalry departed. Yuder walked alongside Nathan Zuckerman, following the three members of the royal family, quietly observing his face.

‘Judging by his expression alone, I can’t tell if Nathan Zuckerman didn’t know about Kishiar’s birthday... or if he did, and just kept silent.’

Knowing him, either was equally possible, which made it all the harder to guess.

“This way. The meal has been prepared here. Please, come in.”

The Emperor’s steward, still as robust as ever, greeted them with polite decorum. The Empress whispered that this would be a special meal, and instead of the dining hall where they had previously eaten, they were guided to a far grander and more beautifully decorated room.

A room painted in soft yellow, its walls covered with portraits of modest gardens and children. It had such a gentle atmosphere that it was hard to believe it existed within the Imperial Palace at all.

‘Was there a place like this in the First Palace?... As far as I recall, this side of the palace was used for storing unused furniture.’

It was a place Yuder had never visited, even in his previous life. But judging from the slightly different atmosphere among the royals, it clearly held special significance for them.

“Your Majesty. This place is...”

“I ordered the dust cleared because I thought it most fitting for dining with my younger brother after so long. What? You dislike it?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Looking around the room, Kishiar relaxed his brows and smiled.

“It has been a while. Everything looks exactly the same. It almost feels like I’ve jumped through time. Nathan, do you remember coming here before?”

“Yes.”

Even Nathan Zuckerman seemed familiar with the place.

Fortunately, the room’s identity was soon revealed. After they sat down, Kishiar leaned toward Yuder and whispered the answer.

“This place is called the ‘Little Dandelion Room.’ Have you ever been here ‘before’?”

“...No.”

Kishiar didn’t look the least surprised, as if he had ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) expected that answer.

“The former Empress was particularly fond of this place. The late Emperor often chose it when he wanted to create a cozy setting just for the family. It’s been closed off for the past several years, though.”

Yuder focused more on Kishiar’s face as he spoke those words.

He looked just a little bitter—and at the same time, content.