Welcome to the Demon’s Cabin - Chapter 40

“Usually, each region has a device in the square that informs people of the time difference. If one does not know, they find out by asking around.”

“Wow, they are truly sincere about it……. Do they go so far as to count the minutes?”

“They do not make quite that much of a fuss.”

‘It is already enough of a fuss.’

Irene, swallowing her words internally, stepped back slightly and set the fallen chair upright. Sitting back in the chair, she placed her arms on the dining table and asked seriously.

“Do you also have birthday parties according to the time?”

“Usually, they do not go that far.”

“Does that mean, by any chance, that some people actually do?”

“Yes. The Imperial family and some peculiar households do so. However, if it is an ambiguous time like dawn, they usually do it at a different time, and instead, there is a ritual they add to the party…… to explain it would be a bit long.”

Irene let out a hollow laugh at the culture of the Empire, which was obsessed with the moment of birth beyond imagination. She wondered what kind of people they were.

Thinking about how that entire population would seriously discuss things like how they had aged by one year because it was now a certain hour, or that the party had to start at a certain hour, they rapidly seemed insignificant. In truth, she had not viewed them as particularly great to begin with.

“Did you also have parties according to the time, Mr. Idris? And what was your birth time?”

“I have never had a party to match the time. And if it was the East of Crescent…… it would be about 3:00 PM.”

Idris answered in a casual tone. Even though his own birthday was right in front of him, his tone was as if he were dealing with the birthday of a stranger whose face he did not even know.

“Since it is just past 2:00 PM now, it will be soon. If we wait just a little and have a birthday party, it will be perfect.”

To be honest, matching the time seemed beyond strange to the point of being bizarre, but she decided to overlook it as a cultural difference.

“Pardon? I do not particularly find it necessary……”

“What are you saying. Does it make sense not to take care of a birthday that comes only once a year?”

“I originally did not take much care of it. To begin with, whether it is a birthday or not, is it not just another day with day and night like any other?”

There was a high probability this would be the last birthday of his life, and yet he had so little lingering attachment?

Indeed. Idris often said things that made it seem as if he had grown up in a distorted upbringing environment. Was that why he matured early and had few things he desired? Suddenly, the thought occurred that he was quite pitiable.

“You cannot. Delicious food is impossible, but I will at least bring a gift, so please wait a moment.”

“No, I truly tell you it is fine. It will only be a needless trouble for you.”

As Irene stood up abruptly and began to lift the carpet on the floor next to the dining table, Idris stood up in embarrassment and tried to stop her. Completely ignoring him, Irene swung open the wooden door with thick iron fittings and began to climb down the ladder.

“What is so hard about bringing out one thing that is in the house. I will be back soon.”

“It is truly fine……”

Irene disappeared beneath the floor in an instant. Idris, left alone and adrift on the ground level, looked down into the dark entrance of the basement before shaking his head with a look of consternation.

* * *

“Happy birthday!”

Irene, who had clapped loudly, pushed two small, luxurious cases in front of Idris. Idris, still wearing a face that suggested he did not quite know why they were doing this, bowed his head slightly and forced a smile.

“I did not know what you would like, so I chose cufflinks as a safe option. You may choose one that you like.”

“……Thank you.”

It was a relief there were so many jewels in the basement. Irene, who had previously cursed the former owner of the house for collecting an enormous amount of useless jewels, belatedly offered a sincere apology.

“Now, I will show them to you one by one.”

Irene began by opening the pure white case on the far right from her perspective. The cufflinks, elaborately crafted with gold and encrusted diamonds, emitted a beautiful light as they caught the illumination. In the middle, a very small red diamond was set to serve as a focal point.

“The second one is this…… no, it is not. Ahaha, it seems I brought the wrong case.”

Irene, who was opening the black case, saw the purple cufflinks inside, and after her eyes widened, she quickly closed the box. Hugging the black case to remove it from Idris’s field of vision, she smiled as if acting natural.

‘Come to think of it, this is not just a jewel, it is a magic stone……! I heard that in other countries, they even disparage them as trash mimicking jewels.’

In Orihen, they were very precious accessories and resources, but the meaning would likely be different for Idris. While the foreigners who failed to recognize the true value of magic stones seemed primitive, she intended to accommodate the birthday celebrant as much as possible for today at least. Irene wanted to hit her own head for thoughtlessly choosing something just because it was pretty.

“I am sorry. It ended up looking like I gave you a choice only to take it away.”

“No, it does not particularly matter to me. To begin with, it is a gift that is more than enough just by the fact that you are taking care of me. Then, I will accept it with gratitude.”

“Happy birthday once again.”

Irene smiled brightly while giving a sincere round of celebratory applause. Regardless of what her relationship with him was or what Idris’s thoughts were, he at least deserved to be celebrated with full sincerity today.

Idris, who had taken out the small cufflinks and was tilting them back and forth in the light, smiled faintly as he looked at Irene, who was watching him with eyes full of expectation. He placed the buttons carefully back into the case, closed it, and offered his greetings to Irene.

“……Thank you. Miss Irene. Since it is the first party I have had that even matched the time, I think it will remain in my memory for a long time.”

Irene responded to him with her characteristic smile, as bright as a cloudless sky.