Chapter 99

"......Could it be that you drew this, Haniwa-chan?"

When I asked, Haniwa-chan nodded.

The picture of a pink-haired woman and a silver-haired man, drawn with paint, was so crude that the outlines were distorted and the parts could barely be identified, like something a three-year-old child might draw.

Still, I could feel how hard she had tried.

And I knew who was depicted in the picture without even asking.

"Of course, I had never held a brush before, so at first, I couldn't even draw a straight line. I practiced all night, and it was really tough."

"Pii"

Evan said this and poked Haniwa-chan with his finger.

Indeed, Haniwa-chan had been absent a lot recently when we slept together at night. I thought she was getting attached to Evan and felt a bit lonely.

I never imagined that she was secretly practicing drawing for me. I was so happy and touched that the tears I had been holding back overflowed and wouldn't stop.

"Haniwa-chan, thank you so much. I'm really, really happy. Can I put it up in my room?"

"Pu po!"

Zain-sama also seemed moved and praised Haniwa-chan, saying, "It's very well done," while petting her.

Haniwa-chan, who was blushing from all the praise from Mariabel and everyone else, dove into my arms, hiding her face.

Hugging the cute Haniwa-chan, I vowed to treasure this picture as a family heirloom.

"I'll give it to you individually. Can you come to my room later?"

"Ah, yes! Of course."

After answering Zain-sama, I turned to everyone again.

"Thank you so much. This is the best birthday ever."

The gratitude I felt was overwhelming, no matter how many times I expressed it. Holding many presents, I ended the birthday party with a happy heart.

◇◇◇

After the party, I took a leisurely bath and finished getting ready for bed, spending time in my room.

Zain-sama had received an urgent work call and said he would be a bit late.

"......Fufu"

My heart was still fluttering as I took out and looked at the presents everyone had given me, smiling to myself.

Before I knew it, time had passed, and the sound of a knock made me jump up.

"Sorry, I'm late."

"No, it's fine. Welcome back."

After welcoming Zain-sama and leading him into the room, I realized that the sofa and table were still cluttered with the presents and luggage I had been looking at.

"Sorry, please sit here!"

Feeling deeply regretful for not cleaning up, I asked him to sit on the bed, which was still free.

"......"

After a moment of silence, Zain-sama nodded and sat down.

I sat next to him and looked up at him. He was wearing casual clothes and smelled of the soap I had just used, a pleasant scent wafting through the air.

"I wanted to give this to you when we were alone."

Zain-sama said this and held out a small box in front of me.

The box was a familiar deep blue, from a jewelry store that even the royal family patronized.

I had seen the catalog that was delivered to the mansion before, and the designs were all beautiful and captivating. However, the number of zeros I had never seen before made me scream, and I closed it in just a few seconds.

"Happy birthday. I hope you will accept it."

"Thank you, can I open it...?"

"Of course."

I opened the box nervously, and a beautiful bracelet sparkled inside.

Delicate chains held several dazzling diamond flowers, and I was breathless at their beauty. They were so beautiful that I felt as if I was being drawn into them.

"I was worried about breaking your bracelet before. I also wanted to give you something that would make it clear at first glance that you are my lover."

When he said this, I realized that these flowers were the emblem of the Winslett Duke's family.

In the Kingdom of Seville, flowers are always used in the emblems of the upper nobility.

The importance of these flowers goes without saying. Even members of the family do not use them casually, as they are highly valued and respected.

"......"

I understood the significance of receiving such an important item.

Despite having so much to say, various emotions overflowed, and nothing came out.

My eyes welled up with tears, and I held back, grabbing Zain-sama's arm and burying my face in his chest. Zain-sama hugged me with both arms.

The words that finally came out were the simple, "I'm happy" and "I love you."

"Is that so, thank you. I love you too."

But Zain-sama said this with a gentle voice, making my vision blur even more.

Falling in love with someone this much, I'm sure it will never happen again.

In the second volume, there is a wonderful illustration of Zain smiling as he destroys the bracelet from Ranheart, so please look forward to it!