“I’m sorry.”

The handsome boy sat in a seiza on the bed while bowing deeply to me. What wasn’t easy to omit was that this person was the second prince of this country. This scene was too surreal to be true.

Well, this time, the prince had been at fault, I guess. I entered his room on my accord as well, though…

“Since you failed, it’s alright. Also, since I entered on my own, I am also at fault.”

“Hmm, well, I was 80% aware though.”

I did a double-take.

“So it was not that you didn’t…”

“That’s not it. I was pretty much awake after you knocked. But I never thought it would be Bell.”

I blinked in surprise.

The prince was smiling so happily.

“I wanted to do a little prank and not wake up, but then you called my name and I wasn’t able to endure it anymore.”

“Since Schwarz calls your name, I thought you would not wake up unless I did it too…”

His smile deepened when I couldn’t resist looking at him with a disapproving look in my eyes.

“It’s like a dream for you to be here, you see. Because you’re here. In my bed. Wouldn’t you think it’s a dream too?”

“...I can’t deny that.”

Certainly, if the prince was in my room early in the morning, I would think I was dreaming too. For example, if he came to my room in the morning to celebrate, it might be bothersome.

“I apologize. I surprised you, didn’t I?”

“Not really? It was nice waking up like this, you know?”

I smiled back bitterly at his ill-natured smile.

“By the way, why did you come to the palace? Since you’re in my room, do you need something from me?”

“What? To say ‘need’... it’s your birthday today, right?”

And then I realized it. I hadn’t said happy birthday yet!

Getting down from the bed, I tidied up my dress before bowing neatly.

“I apologize for saying this late! Happy birthday!”

Satisfied, I raised my head and saw the prince tilting his head, which didn’t have a single hair out of place, even though he had just woken up.

“Birthday? Oh, mine?”

“Wha, your reaction is so slow…”

“Thanks, Bell. But did you go out of your way to come here and say this?”

The prince laughed at my befuddled expression.

“That isn’t all! I brought a cake and a new game.”

“Haha, we could just do it at your place.”

“Since it’s your birthday, you don’t need to do anything at all! Come on, let’s have a small party.”

I got the cake and game from the basket and put them on the desk.

“Party…? Why are we having a party?”

“Wha, no, it’s not an extravagant party but… I wanted to at least celebrate.”

“Celebrate? Why?”

“Huh?”

I froze and held the prince’s gaze for several seconds. I was the only one dumbfounded.

He didn’t know the reason for celebrating his birthday?

No way, I’ll try to ask him.

“Uhm, prince. What do you do on your birthday?”

“Age.”

“No, not that but what is a special thing you do on this day?”

“Special?”

The prince held his chin as he seemed to think.

“I’m told ‘happy birthday’ by Schwarz.”

“Whaaat. Anything else?”

“Something else? There’s a cake after dinner.”

“I see, and what else?”

“What? There’s nothing else though?”

He seemed troubled as he saw me frowning. He didn’t think his birthday was that special, to begin with! Schwarz! What were you thinking?!

I sighed as the prince looked at me in wonder.

“Bell? You seem to misunderstand something, but only the royal family has special parties and celebrations. I don’t normally eat cake.”

“Huh? Is that so!?”

To think my common sense would be wrong.

Since it was a Japanese dating sim, I always thought the culture was the same even though it was a parallel world.

…No, come to think of it, my birthdays have always been lavish dinners and cake, but I didn’t remember having parties or receiving presents.

Maybe what Schwarz meant when he asked me to celebrate was to say “Happ birthday” instead of him.

When I said that I was preparing a cake and present for the prince, Will made a strange expression too. It was possible that the concept of presents didn’t exist either. My memories from my previous life influenced me too much. Ugh, what was I doing…

“That’s true…”

“Hmm, so I don’t really understand the idea of celebrating my birthday. What is worth celebrating?”

“What? Isn’t it the day you were born?”

The prince made a doubtful expression.

This time, it was me needing to think over things.

“Hmm, it is like thanking you for being born, I would say.”

The prince looked flabbergasted at my honest words.

“Everyone is celebrating that you were born.”

While I was being proud of having explained it in such a good way, the prince froze for several seconds before approaching me with a serious look on his face. I became surprised and bewildered as his scent got closer. He hugged me pretty naturally.

“You are so strange, Bell. There is no one else who thinks the way you do.”

“I-is that so?”

I couldn’t say that it was a culture from an alternative world, so I only gave a vague reply.

“Hey, say that again?”

“That?”

“Yeah, ‘thank you for being born’.”

“Err, thank you very much for being born.”

Although my voice grew small, the prince pulled away from me slightly to peek at my face.

“Once more.”

“Huh!? Thank you for being born, your highness.”

“Say my name again.”

“Thank you for being born, Your Highness Dylan.”

The prince put his forehead against mine and snickered. His face. His face was too close.

“I see, thanks, Bell. For being happy that I was born.”

“W-what are you saying? It’s a matter of course.”

The prince laughed again.

It hurt because he was grinding his forehead against mine.

“Your Highness… it hurts…”

“Hmm? You won’t say my name again? Oh, well. I’m thrilled right now.”

Seeing his face after separating our foreheads, he really was smiling happily.

“As long as I have you, Bell, I’ll be happy.”

“… Is that so?”

There was no one who would feel bad after being told that. I wasn’t an exception and unconsciously returned his smile.

“Yeah. As long as I have you…”

Although I felt like his face distorted for a moment, it immediately turned into his usual smile.

“Is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing. Oh, we have cake, right?”

“Did you notice? This, I made it myself!”

“Huh!? You made it!? Amazing. Let’s eat it straight away!”

Being flustered because of his words, I rushed over to the basket on the desk. I took the cake and board game out.

Well then, let’s begin the fun party.