What could possibly be so off-putting about that sincere, handsome young man? At this point, Almond was starting to seriously wonder if his master had some kind of sexual dysfunction.
And then—
“What do you think, Butler?”
Almond recognized the déjà vu in that question and played dumb.
“Think about what, sir?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I’m talking about Bell. He’s suddenly wearing a scarf—something he didn’t even bother with when it was freezing outside. And now, every time he sees me, he vanishes like he’s got urgent business.”
Of course Almond knew. He knew exactly why Briel was covering his face with a scarf and avoiding Kalz. But he had no intention of saying so. Not just because of the promise he made to Briel—but also because, honestly, he was thoroughly enjoying this turn of events.
“Just a little while ago he was so… Ugh, his mood swings are ridiculous.”
Watching his master scoff and clench his jaw, Almond was inwardly celebrating. All it took was a bit of avoidance from Briel to throw Kalz into a bad mood? That had to be a good sign.
He felt foolish now for scolding Briel back when he was bitten by that snake. He hadn’t seen the bigger picture then.
“So? You don’t know anything?”
“Well… maybe his feelings for you have started to fade.”
“His feelings have faded?”
“Or maybe he’s starting to wonder if it’s even worth trying anymore.”
“He’s losing confidence, is that it?”
“Or maybe he really is just busy.”
“…If you don’t know, just say so.”
Kalz shot the butler a sullen glare. Almond resisted the urge to click his beak in amusement.
“Either way, isn’t this a good thing? You were always uncomfortable with how openly Briel showed his affection.”
“Well, yes, but still…”
“If he’s finally giving up, then you won’t have to deal with any more awkwardness.”
The butler wasn’t wrong. It was exactly what Kalz had been hoping for. He’d tried everything to get Briel to give up—he even went as far as running away from him.
Granted, after that humiliating incident where he’d regressed into his younger self, it had all started to feel pointless, so he’d eventually stopped. But even after that, whenever Briel showed affection, Kalz made sure not to respond at all.
He didn’t want to give false hope to a heart he couldn’t answer. And to be completely honest, he didn’t want to give himself any false hope either.
Kalz had always assumed Briel’s confession was just a fleeting impulse—a moment of whimsy. A passing spring breeze, light and temporary, bound to disappear sooner or later.
Even if it turned out Briel’s feelings were deeper than that, they still couldn’t possibly be the “pure and honest love” that held the power to break the curse. So if Briel really was giving up now, just like the butler said… maybe that was for the best.
So then why did it feel so damn awful?
Kalz felt uneasy, irritated, and even a little wronged. Like he’d been blindsided and robbed, all in one go. He turned that muddled frustration toward his butler.
“You were practically trying to marry the two of us off, and now suddenly you’ve done a full 180. What are you scheming?”
“Scheming? Not at all, sir. I still want things to work out between you and Briel. I just spoke from your perspective, that’s all.”
“Hah! Since when do you care about my perspective? You were the one who brought him into the castle in the first place.”
“Yes. And it was you, Master, who chose to bring Briel back after he left.”
Kalz’s jaw locked. At a loss for words, he lashed out.
“Just don’t do anything unnecessary! If you try to meddle this time, I won’t let it slide!”
“Of course, sir. Heaven forbid.”
“Quick with the answers, aren’t you? That’s even more suspicious.”
“If you’d prefer a bit of rebellion, you should’ve told me. I’m quite talented in that area too.”
“Get out.”
In the end, Kalz didn’t figure out a single thing. Not why Briel was acting so strangely, not what Butler Squawk was really thinking, and definitely not why he was in such a foul mood.
***
“Done!”
I clenched both fists in triumph as I stared at the glossy, vibrant red raspberry mousse cake sitting in front of me. Maybe it was because I’d failed so many times before, but seeing a perfect cake for once made it feel all the more precious.
“Wow, the color and shape turned out great. Congrats, Briel. You pulled it off with the very last raspberry.”
“Right? I was so worried I’d have to go pick more, or that I wouldn’t finish in time for the birthday. I kept thinking maybe I should’ve just asked Elizabeth to make it from the beginning. I regretted it so many times.”
“Haha, but deep down, you wanted to make it yourself, didn’t you?”
Elizabeth gave me a playful wink. I didn’t bother answering—just gave her a sheepish grin. She let out a soft laugh, almost like a sigh.
“I know that feeling well. I became a chef for a similar reason.”
“Really?”
“Mhm. Though it’s been so long that I barely even remember the details anymore.”
Honestly, I wanted to ask. I opened my mouth a few times to say something. Who was it that inspired her to become a chef? But in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. If it was someone from that long ago… they were probably no longer around. I couldn’t go digging into memories that might hurt her just to satisfy a bit of curiosity. So instead, I just smiled.
“Then I’ll bake you a cake for your birthday too. What kind do you like?”
“Oh my, aren’t you sweet. Thank you—even if it’s just words.”
“But I mean it! Let’s celebrate together—with candles and everything.”
“Candles…? Don’t tell me you mean the kind where you put one for each year?”
Um, Elizabeth? Why are your eyes suddenly doing that?
Feigning ignorance, I awkwardly mumbled to myself and slowly got up from my seat.
“Right, I should store the cake properly. Wouldn’t want it getting ruined…”
In the end, I never did find out when Elizabeth’s birthday was. And for days afterward, I couldn’t stop picturing that wide-eyed, head-tilted cat expression she’d made. It gave me the shivers. For now, I’d better avoid mentioning birthdays in front of her. Along with Butler Squawk, that was officially the second forbidden word.
Aside from the cake, the rest of the birthday preparations were going smoothly. The only issue was that lately Kalz had been following me around, ordering me to do this and that, leaving me with almost no time to work on his present. But I cut back on sleep and pushed through, and thanks to that, I managed to finish it just in time.
And finally, the day had arrived.
“Butler, you’re in on it, right?”
“Of course.”
Because let’s be honest—no surprise party is complete without first making the guest of honor feel just a little neglected. I’d asked everyone ahead of time to avoid mentioning Kalz’s birthday, and judging by the way every coworker I ran into gave me these sly smiles and knowing nods, the message had gotten through.
But seriously, what’s with Kalz’s reaction? Why’s he so… normal?
It was already well into the afternoon, and he was still following me around giving out orders like always. I expected him to at least look a little sulky—or maybe snap from feeling overlooked. A furrowed brow, a cranky sigh—something. At this point, I was starting to wonder if he’d forgotten it was his birthday altogether.
Eventually, evening rolled around.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“Grill, sweetie, you’re standing on my tail.”
“Ah! I’m so sorry, ma’am!”
We were all huddled in the pitch-dark dining room, waiting for Kalz to walk in. (Jack couldn’t fit through the door, so he joined us through the window—well, at least his head did.) Mari leaned over and whispered in my ear, giggling.
“This is kind of fun, isn’t it? Sneaking around in the dark like this.”
“Yeah?”
“Mhm. My heart’s racing.”
Just then, the heavy thump of boots echoed from the hallway. The sound got closer and closer, and we all fell silent, holding our breath as the door creaked open.
Click.
“Hm? Why are the lights off?”
Right on cue, Mr. and Mrs. Pitt flicked on the lights, and we burst out with a chorus of shouts and flying confetti.
“Ta-da! Happy birthday!”
“Surprise!”
“What the…?”
Kalz visibly flinched, clearly stunned by the sudden cheer. He blinked at the party hats, the streamers hanging from the windows and walls, and only then did the realization seem to hit.
“…Right. It’s today.”
“Master, were you surprised?”
“Sniffle!”
Everyone was staring at him with sparkling eyes, practically shouting Please be touched! Please be touched! just with their looks. Kalz let out a quiet laugh, probably because it was all so ridiculously sincere.
“Phew… I didn’t see this coming. Thank you. Really. I appreciate all the effort.”
“Oh, it was nothing!”
“Heehee~”
As Kalz thanked them, everyone’s face lit up with satisfaction.
“Alright everyone, please take your seats! We need to move on before the food gets cold!”
“There’s more?”
“Of course! Is everyone settled? Then let’s move on to the highlight of the night—present time!”
Like they’d been waiting for the cue, the older staff all pulled out the gifts they’d carefully prepared. Honestly, the gift-giving hadn’t been part of the original plan. But the moment they heard I was preparing a present, everyone jumped on board and insisted on getting something too.
In the end, for all their teasing and complaining, they really did like Kalz. Can’t blame them, really. He’s not a bad master—well, except when it comes to me.
“Young Master, happy birthday. My, how tall and handsome you’ve grown. This old Rosie feels like crying.”
“Thanks, Rosie. But I’ve looked like this for almost a hundred years now.”
“This here’s a handkerchief. It’s been a while since I tried my hand at one.”
“Thanks. I’ll use it well.”
One by one, everyone handed Kalz their gifts, and he accepted them all with calm kindness. When Jack presented his giant bouquet, Kalz did pause with a strange look for a second, but he still took it without complaint.
“And now, it’s time to eat! Everyone, dig in!”
“Yaaay!”
The table was piled high with food that Elizabeth and I had been working on for days. The ingredients were simple, nothing fancy or extravagant—but somehow, it tasted better than anything you’d get at a high-end restaurant. Maybe it was because we were all sharing it together.
“Mari, you’ve got sauce on your face.”
“Huh? Where?”
“Here, I’ll get it.”
I carefully wiped her sauce-smudged cheek with a napkin. Her cheeks were puffed up like little buns, stuffed with honey-glazed chestnuts. She gave me a goofy, satisfied grin in return.
