The whole castle was alive with festive energy the next morning.
Flowers adorned the hallways, and servants hurried to and fro with busy expressions. As Mira helped me into my formal attire, the reality finally sank in: today was the main event.
"Lord Rein, please keep still... There, all done."
Mira adjusted my collar, then stepped back a pace to look me over.
"You look so cu—handsome! Truly handsome, Lord Rein!"
"...Thank you."
I wasn't used to such high praise, and it left me feeling a bit bashful.
A massive crowd had already gathered by the time we entered the great hall. They were likely neighboring nobles and their personal knights; the room was filled with faces I didn't recognize. Father immediately sought out Lord Georg and began greeting various other nobles. I stayed off to the side with Mira.
Before long, Lord Georg took his place at the front of the hall.
"I thank you all for gathering here today," his deep voice boomed, echoing through the chamber. "Today marks the sixth birthday of my daughter, Katia."
It started off well enough.
"Ever since she was small, Katia has been spirited and full of life, yet she has the most darling smile—"
He didn't stop there.
"By the age of three, she was already racing all over the gardens. When she was four, she approached a horse in the stables entirely on her own and sent the stable hand into a panic. You should have seen her face back then—"
He was on a roll.
"Lately, she’s taken to mimicking me and has started swinging a sword. She actually has a real knack for it. While it might be a bit much for a lady, her talent is so great it would be a crime to make her stop—"
Wry smiles broke out across the hall. Lord Georg alone maintained a perfectly serious expression as he continued his long-winded doting. I spotted Father standing beside him, staring up at the ceiling in resignation.
"—At any rate, Katia is the most precious daughter in the world. Of that, I can be certain."
"Father!"
A voice sharp with indignation rang out from the back of the hall.
"Stop it already! This is embarrassing!"
Laughter rippled through the crowd. Lord Georg gave a satisfied chuckle and finally brought his speech to a close.
After that, Katia made her grand entrance.
In contrast to her tomboyish energy from the day before, she looked every bit the noble daughter. Spotting me, she walked straight in my direction.
"...Well? I look pretty good, don't I?"
I took her in. Her pale pink dress complemented her chestnut hair perfectly. Her short bob was tied back with a cream-colored ribbon, making her brown eyes stand out. They were bright, resolute eyes.
How was I supposed to compliment her at a time like this? Right. Just be honest.
"It suits you very well. The color of the dress is a perfect match for your hair, and having it tied back makes it easy to see your beautiful eyes. You look cute."
Katia’s eyes went wide.
Her cheeks flushed crimson in an instant, the red spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
"Wha—"
She opened her mouth, but the words seemed to fail her. She just stood there, her mouth hanging open.
She probably hadn't expected such specific praise from a six-year-old boy. Honestly, if I didn't have that person's memories, I probably wouldn't have managed more than a simple "It looks good on you."
"...Idiot."
That was all she managed to squeeze out before averting her gaze. Her ears were still bright red.
Once the flush faded from her face, Katia moved to greet the other guests as the guest of honor should.
I watched her from the sidelines while nibbling on the food. Mira was on standby elsewhere, so a knight from House Werl stood guard by my side instead. No matter who she spoke to, Katia carried herself with dignity, showing no hint of intimidation when dealing with adult nobles. Every so often, she would look back and wave at me.
As the party neared its conclusion, Katia came jogging over. She was slightly out of breath.
"I'm sorry, we didn't get to talk at all."
"It's fine. You're the star of the show today."
"—Hey, Rein." Her expression suddenly turned serious.
"What is it?"
"Next time, I'm coming to your place."
"Eh?"
"I want to go play at your house. That's okay, right?"
"I don't mind, but..."
"Then it's settled!" she declared immediately, her smile blooming like a flower. She clearly had no intention of waiting for my formal consent.
Lord Georg, who had been listening nearby, knit his brows.
"Katia. Barging into a boy's home like that is—"
"I don't care. I'm going."
"That is why I am telling you, a lady's modesty—"
"I'm going!"
Katia glared up at Lord Georg. The brawny, muscular giant flinched for a moment when his six-year-old daughter stared him down.
Lord Georg looked at Father, his eyes pleading, silently asking him to say it wasn't allowed.
"It's fine with us. I'm sure Rein would be happy to have a friend over," Father responded casually. Lord Georg looked as though he had been betrayed.
"...Fine. But I'm making sure you have a proper escort."
"Yay!" Katia cheered, looking immensely pleased.
Inside the carriage on the way home, Father spoke while gazing out the window.
"You made a friend."
"...Yeah."
"Lady Katia is a good girl. A bit too energetic, perhaps."
"Yeah."
I wondered what we should do when Katia visited. I wanted to make her some sweets. I had a feeling she and the twins would hit it off.
I found myself looking forward to the day Katia would come to visit.