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"Sir Bright, the Commander of the Knights has arrived."
"…Let him in."
Ezkhiel, who had been working in his office, set aside the documents at his aide's call. Striding into the office, Achilles frowned when he saw that Ezkhiel did not rise.
"His Highness isn't here, is he? My request for an audience should have been approved."
"His Majesty the Emperor summoned him for breakfast, so he'll be arriving a little late. But didn't you agree to submit your activity report in two weeks?"
"I thought an interim report might be necessary, so I gathered everything and brought it here. There are some matters I also wish to bring up separately, but waiting for an audience just for that would push me too far down the list."
Realizing Achilles had come to raise complaints about yesterday's incident, Ezkhiel closed his eyes for a moment. The memory of being dragged off by Alexander and Achilles before still gave him a headache.
"…His Highness approved your audience because he takes great interest in the current state of the Knight Order. If your request was for personal reasons, I must remind you that you could face unfavorable consequences regarding your post."
"I've fulfilled my duties diligently. You don't have to worry about that."
With a displeased look, Achilles gave a signal. Another knight carefully placed the stack of documents on the clearest spot on Ezkhiel's desk, then left.
Ezkhiel sighed at the ever-growing pile of paperwork, skimmed through the contents, and then asked seriously,
"The newly appointed knights seem to be performing above expectations, but it looks like conflicts with the existing knights are just as high. Are the older members struggling to adapt to the changed atmosphere of the Order?"
"It's less about struggling, more about territorial behavior. Since most of the new recruits were chosen to be unaligned with the existing factions, the veterans view them more as rivals than juniors."
"And the knights who cause trouble?"
"If it gets out of hand, I'll demote them. After a stint in the guard unit, they'll learn to rein themselves in."
It seemed Achilles truly had managed things well, just as he claimed.
After a few more questions, Ezkhiel added his comments, signed the report, and set it aside.
"…Understood. For now, wait here until His Highness returns."
Since Ezkhiel couldn't attend to his own work with another official scheduled to meet with Matthias, he seated Achilles on the sofa in the corner, then sat opposite him. Achilles immediately spoke.
"Would it be all right if I asked a personal question while we wait for His Highness?"
"…Go ahead."
Ezkhiel, wary that it might be about Ariette, nodded reluctantly despite his unease. But Achilles's question turned out to be something entirely different.
"How does Sir Bright usually celebrate birthdays with your family?"
"…Birthdays, you say?"
Caught off guard, Ezkhiel repeated the question, but Achilles nodded as if to confirm he had heard correctly. Ezkhiel wondered why on earth he was asking such a thing, but since it wasn't something he couldn't answer, he replied honestly.
"My brother and I are both administrators, so we've never celebrated on the exact day. But we always tried to adjust our schedules, have dinner together at a restaurant, then prepare a cake and hold a simple celebration at home."
"And who chooses the cake?"
"Of course, I do. It's my birthday, after all."
"…And on the Baron's birthday? Do you still buy the cake you like?"
"I'm not childish enough to insist on my favorite cake for my brother's birthday…"
Ezkhiel was dumbfounded at such a ridiculous question but did his best not to show it. What came next from Achilles surprised him even more.
"In our family, no matter whose birthday it is, we always prepare the cake Arie likes. But yesterday, Lady Eskis heard about this and said it was wrong."
"…Yesterday was Sir Averil's birthday, wasn't it? And yet you still prepared Lady Averil's favorite cake?"
Ezkhiel also hadn't eaten the cake he wanted on his birthdays as a child, but that was because the Baron and Baroness forced what they thought was an ideal diet on them, not because David liked it.
"Yes. But perhaps because she heard that yesterday, Arie now says she only wants that cake prepared for her own birthday. Apparently, when we went to deliver invitations, Lady Sharon also overheard and looked displeased. And with Lady Eskis's words on top of that, it seems Arie is feeling quite unsettled."
"Well… how one celebrates birthdays depends on the household. I can't say what's right or wrong. But if Lady Averil herself feels uncomfortable, wouldn't it be best to do it in the way that puts her at ease?"
Ezkhiel spoke carefully, and Achilles let out a sigh.
"Arie cares far more about how others perceive her than we do. But if we change things to be like everyone else, I fear she'll be treated with less regard than she deserves. I don't know if that's right either."
At the word "neglected," Ezkhiel recalled what Letticia had once told him, that Achilles and Alexander carried guilt toward Ariette, and perhaps that was why they tried so hard to do too much for her.
For a moment, the Achilles before him overlapped with his own brother David, and despite not having the warmest feelings toward him, Ezkhiel suddenly wanted to give him sincere advice.
"…Sir Achilles, if you truly wish to ease the Lady's heart, then you must also allow yourself to be properly celebrated on your birthday. Otherwise, no matter how splendidly Lady Averil is celebrated on hers, she will never be able to fully rejoice."
"My birthday? I'm celebrated plenty on my birthday."
"Even if you say that, the moment you yield the cake, your words lose weight. A birthday is the one day meant to celebrate the person whose day it is. Yet on that day, you chose to prioritize the Lady's tastes over your own. To others, it will look as though you're sacrificing, even your own birthday, for your younger sister's sake."
"Sacrifice? That's absurd! I just find more joy in seeing Arie happy and smiling!"
Though Achilles raised his voice, Ezkhiel remained calm this time and replied evenly.
"As someone who also has an older brother, I can tell you, every time my brother says things like that, as his younger sibling I feel guilty, like I've stolen away his happiness. Even if it brings me joy, I can't fully enjoy it. Lady Averil is no different."
"…"
"So, if you want to put her at ease, you should talk with your family and make sure each birthday celebration matches the preferences of the person whose day it is. No matter how much you insist you're properly celebrated while yielding the spotlight, she will never truly accept it."
"…I doubt Father or my brother would agree to that. But if nothing else, I'll just say Arie wanted a different cake this year. The most important thing is that she doesn't feel uncomfortable."
His words sounded almost cynical this time. Ezkhiel's feelings grew more complicated, Achilles seemed to value Ariette's happiness above his own, but it also left him questioning.
'He truly does care for his sister… but where did things go wrong?'
The image of Ariette acting like a child to coax her brothers into making peace still lingered as a shocking memory.
It was clear her brothers were the ones who made her act that way. Yet, at the same time, they prioritized her to the point of even unifying all their birthday cakes to her liking.
They all acted out of love for each other, and yet… why did none of them ever seem genuinely happy?
Before Ezkhiel could dwell further on that thought, the office door swung open, and Matthias strode in with heavy steps. Startled, Ezkhiel rose to his feet, only to be met with Matthias's irritable voice.
"What's the schedule for this morning?"
"First, the Knight Commander's interim report, and after that, a review of the road maintenance report for the northern route into the capital. The Knight Commander is already here, so once you've read the documents, you can hear his detailed report."
"Good. Let the Knight Commander come in at once."
As Matthias disappeared into the office without another word, Ezkhiel grabbed Achilles's arm to stop him from following right away and shook his head.
Never once, on a day when Matthias returned from seeing the Emperor, had he been in a good mood, but today he seemed especially volatile.
"Today, only give your official report, Sir Achilles. It would be best not to bring up personal matters."
"What do you mean? I heard His Highness's behavior yesterday was even mentioned in the society pages, I must-"
"Even so, it cannot be done right now. Instead, I'll do my best to move up Sir Averil's audience schedule. For today, please confine yourselves to official matters only. That is what's best for you, my lord."
Ezkhiel's firm words made Achilles scowl in frustration, clearly unconvinced. But he wasn't foolish enough to ignore the advice of the Crown Prince's chief aide of four years. Grinding his teeth, he finally gave a reluctant nod.
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