Side Chapter: A Birthday Party Ten Days Late

Mia’s days in the dungeon were, as a rule, very boring. She was naturally provided with no entertainment whatsoever, and there was no hope of striking up an interesting conversation with her guards, who were the kind of people that, on a good day, would give her the silent treatment; the alternative was verbal abuse. As a result...

“Five thousand six hundred and one... Five thousand six hundred and two...”

...She’d resorted to the psychologically questionable activity of counting the number of cracks in the stones that made up her cell. Why the cracks, specifically? Well, she’d already finished counting the number of stones and the number of stains on the stones, so... It was fair to say that she was reaching the limits of her sanity.

“Good day, Your Highness.”

Suddenly, she heard something that was a rarity in the dungeon — the charming voice of a young woman.

Huh. Have I finally started hallucinating? she wondered, staring blankly in the direction of the voice.

The familiar figure of her steadfast caretaker appeared.

“My! Anne! What a pleasant surprise!”

It was a cold day near the end of the year. The common populace were busy with wintering over preparations, and there had been no sign of Anne for seven straight days. Three days ago was when Mia had her big cry, figuring that Anne had finally given up on her. She’d been despondent ever since, weighed down by the despair of being abandoned. To have that conclusion overturned filled her with joy, and she grinned ear to ear as she welcomed her longed-for conversation buddy. As Anne got closer, she noticed something wrapped around her neck.

“My, you’re wearing something interesting there, aren’t you?”

“Hm? Ah, this. Right,” Anne said with a timid laugh. “It’s actually my birthday today.”

She unraveled a length of the scarf around her neck and held it up for Mia to see. The stitches were crude, yielding uneven patterns, and the yarn used was cheap. It was certainly no luxury item, but it was clearly a source of great bliss for her.

“...I’m glad you have such a good family,” said Mia in a soft voice.

She was reminded of her own father, who’d already been put to death. Overprotective and inclined to pamper her to no end, she wasn’t sure how effective he’d been as an emperor, but as a father, he’d always been gentle. The thought left her a little sad, so she discarded it with a shake of her head and changed the topic.

“Speaking of birthdays, I just had mine too.”

“...Huh?” Anne blinked at her in surprise. “Y-Your Highness, it’s your birthday?”

“Was. Seven days ago.” Mia gave Anne an accusatory pout. “You do live in the capital, don’t you? Haven’t you ever attended one of my birthday festivals?”

Princess Mia’s natal festival was a massive five-day celebration that took place every winter to celebrate her birth. Back when the empire was still prosperous, seemingly endless stalls would be set up by imperial decree, and great numbers of people both local and foreign would travel to attend the festivities.

“I’m sorry. But I’m always busy in the winter helping out at home, so...” she said in a slightly defensive tone. “Actually, I do remember going to a festival after my sisters badgered me about it, but I didn’t know what it was for...”

“Ah. Well. No matter.” Mia’s expression softened with resignation. “It’s a thing of the past now.”

She thought of those bygone days, their bustling excitement now reduced to wistful nostalgia, and drew her mouth into a tight-lipped smile. A quiet sigh escaped her.

“Back when I was actually involved, I thought it was the most troublesome thing. Now that it’s gone, I have to admit I miss it a little.”

For a brief moment, Anne didn’t say anything, as though she were contemplating something. In the end, she produced only a short response of acknowledgment.

“...I see.”

After that, the topic shifted to other matters. Mia inquired about how Anne’s family was doing and what things were like outside. Eventually, the conversation drew to a close, and they parted for the day.

The next time Anne visited was three days later. She entered the dungeon quickly, sneaking uneasy glances at the guards as she walked past them.

“Anne? Is something the matter?”

“Shush. Just act normal, Your Highness,” whispered Anne as she made sure she was positioned with her back toward the guard. “I’ll do your hair for you today. Could you please turn around?”

She hastily pressed on Mia’s shoulders, rotating her so they faced the same direction.

“Hey, wait— What’s going on? You don’t have to push... Huh?”

Anne ran her fingers through Mia’s hair a few times, pretending to straighten it, before reaching over to press something into her hand.

“Is this... a cookie?”

“Yes. I just so happened to come across one.”

“My!”

Mia let out a quiet squeal of glee. The great famine that had swept the continent plunged the empire’s food situation into a disastrous state. Sweets became extraordinarily scarce, and even Mia, still a princess at the time, was rarely able to procure any. Obviously, after being thrown into a dungeon, the thought of tasting something sweet became nothing but a pipe dream.

“Quickly. If they see it, they’ll take it away and eat it themselves.”

“Ah, that’s true. All right...”

Mia regarded the baked delicacy like a piece of priceless treasure. She held it in both hands. Then, carefully, almost reverently, she brought it to her mouth and took a bite. As the fragment touched her tongue, she felt a dry, sandy texture. Chewing it, however, revealed the sweetness within. It tasted like cheap sugar... but it was sugar. Complemented by the attendant aroma of toasted dough and a faint floral flavoring...

“Ahhh...”

...It was like tasting bliss itself — undoubtedly the most delicious thing she’d eaten since being put in this dungeon. As she savored the moment, exhaling with heartfelt pleasure, she heard Anne say, “Happy birthday, Your Highness.”

“You...” She turned to Anne, her eyes widening. “You brought this because...”

“Yes. I’m sorry it’s ten days late, though.”

There was a long silence.

“...It was quite the ordeal to get one of these, wasn’t it?”

Even Mia knew how difficult it must have been to acquire a cookie in these times. Suddenly, she was seized by a sense of anxious uncertainty. Anne had gone through so much trouble to obtain this cookie. Was it really okay for her to give it to Mia of all people? They weren’t even family.

“It was. But special things always are. And this is for your birthday, so it had to be something special.”

“But still...”

“Otherwise... Well, that’d just be too sad. I can’t stand the thought of someone being unable to celebrate their birthday. I think that everyone born into this world deserves to have their birthday celebrated,” she declared with chest-puffing conviction before sticking out her tongue. “Ehehe, did that sound a little pretentious? I always wanted to try saying something like that.”

Then, she lowered her head and said in a formal tone, “Please forgive my impertinence, Your Highness.”

Her sudden shift in attitude bordered on comedy, and Mia almost spat out her precious mouthful of cookie crumbs on the spot.

Time passed, and lives changed, but Mia never forgot that birthday she celebrated ten days late. She remembered it on the guillotine, and she continued to remember it afterward.

Fast forward(?) to another timeline...

“Sweet moons, am I ever tired.”

An empire-wide natal festival followed by parties at the Four Dukes’ residences kept her on the road for nine straight days, during which she just kept smiling and smiling. By the end, every muscle in her face felt sore.

“Back when it was gone, I thought I missed it, but now that it’s here again, it really is the most troublesome thing.”

Mia, you see, was the type to yearn for winter when it was summer and yearn for summer when it was winter. Spring and fall, though, had lots of yummy foods, so she didn’t do any yearning during those seasons. She had a simple nature, but it kept her happy.

She threw off her dress and flopped down onto the bed, at which point she could have sworn she immediately melted into a puddle of boneless flesh. Within seconds, slumber began calling seductively to her fading consciousness.

“You’re going to get sick if you fall asleep like that. Please change into some loungewear, at least,” said Anne, her tone equal parts amused and admonishing as she approached.

Mia sluggishly craned her neck enough to glance at Anne, only to find her curiosity piqued by the tray she held.

“Mmm? What’s that?”

“It’s from the head chef. He expected you to be exhausted, so he sent you this. I think it’s something made from hot milk.”

“...Is it good?”

“I’m not sure, but he mentioned it’s been sweetened with honey.”

“Say no more!”

Mia’s taste buds were willing to give an A to anything sweet. They were simple things, those taste buds, but they kept her happy, so really, they were the best taste buds. She sat up on the bed, hanging her legs over its side, and picked up the porcelain container on the tray. Steaming hot milk sloshed around inside. As she drew in a breath, a sweet fragrance filled her nose, causing her to let it back out in a gratified sigh.

“By the way, milady, about the rest of the day...”

“Oh, my! I just realized!” exclaimed Mia, cupping her face with her hands in a gesture of exaggerated surprise. “It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?”

It was honestly a cheesy bit of acting, but it had its intended effect, causing Anne to give her a wide-eyed stare as she produced the present she’d been hiding.

“Huh? What’s that?”

“It’s a present.”

Inside the container were sweets of the highest quality.

“Th-Thank you very much.” said Anne.

She was about to say something else, but decided against it at the last second and pressed her lips together. The gesture did not escape Mia’s notice.

“Anne? Is something the matter? Actually, let me guess. Your family’s throwing a birthday party for you, so you’d like the rest of the day off?”

“No. It’s, um...” She picked nervously at the hem of her apron for a bit before continuing. “I don’t mean to be disrespectful, and I know how big an ask this is, but... is there any chance you’d be willing to come with me?”

“Huh?”

Mia gave her an open-mouthed stare.

“U-Um, I mean, my sisters... They, um, really want you to come celebrate with us, and...”

Anne stole a nervous glance at her, then let out an embarrassed laugh.

“Ahaha, what am I even doing? I’m being silly. You’re so tired already, and... Never mind. I’m sorry I said anything so ridiculous...”

“You’ll always be the girl who celebrated my birthday ten days late. Always,” Mia whispered softly to herself, her eyes closed, as she gripped Anne’s hands tightly in her own.

“Huh? U-Um, milady?”

“Ridiculous indeed. As if there was any need to even ask.” She opened her eyes again and her expression blossomed into a radiant smile. “Of course I’ll go. And happily at that.”

A few days later, Mia would ask Anne to accompany her to Saint-Noel Academy, blissfully unaware of what adventures were lying in wait.