Life of Change

We arrived home around dusk. Surprisingly Mom was waiting for us in the driveway. The joy that still burned in my chest took hold of me, and as soon as Makila got out of the carriage I started squirming and grunting for her to let me go.

"Okay, okay, I understand, go." Grumbled Makila who immediately set me down on the ground.

I ran as fast as I could, harnessing my immense energy. My shoes echoed at an erratic pace with my hurried running until I threw myself into the open arms of my expecting mother. Makila and Ameli arrived behind me, with a shared laugh.

"Aw, did my little baby miss me? I've never seen her so energetic."

"Well, she's never had a chance to burn off all her energy before. If this surprises you you should have seen her playing with her new friends." Makila mentioned, approaching Mom and greeting her with a chaste kiss on her cheek.

"Friends?" asked Mom, raising an eyebrow.

"Friends. Not only Katarina's daughter but also Isolde Eleios' youngest daughter."

"What, Isolde's daughter?"

Mom looked shocked by that information. Giving me an incredulous look we walked towards the door, entering the mansion.

"By the way, where is everyone?" asked Makila as we moved through the halls, seemingly in the direction of her office.

"Oh, Zenya is practicing in her room. She said she was preparing something special that Mr. Modeus had been teaching her. Sarka is in the library studying and Hal is in a meeting with the captains and lieutenants. In a few days, he will be making changes among the ranks of the members of the Order, promotions, and so on. Sir Erlathan, Sir Golban, and Sir Irmestos will be promoted to lieutenants."

"I remember Sir Golban and Sir Irmestos, but who was Sir Erlathan?"

"Sir Erlathan is the second son of Baron Reluraun Rindel. You know, the Magar race."

"Ah, I remember them. Long ears, good at magic, extremely attractive. It's hard to forget their appearances, but their names..."

"Hahaha, right, they're kind of complicated. Odüen's children love to give themselves complicated names."

Based on their words, I could almost tell what kind of race they were talking about, but I didn't want to set my expectations too high. I was already very fortunate to know 2 Teriant races, to also have elves nearby would be very... convenient.

In no time we arrived at our destination, and Mom immediately asked Makila and Ameli for details. They both recounted the day's events, from our arrival to the incident with Aria. Mom was not happy at all knowing that I was hurt to the point of bleeding, but Makila was able to reassure her by telling her about her conversation with Isolde.

"You don't have to worry about that, Lana. I talked to her, and she apologized. The poor countess was terrified thinking that such an act could spark a major factional conflict or put a sword to her daughter's neck." Makila related with an exhausted expression and voice. She covered her face with her hands and leaned back in her chair. Ameli came over and poured her a cup of tea, placed another one quickly in front of Mom and, not to be missed, handed me my bottle with my beloved juice.

"A conflict between factions? You're exaggerating too much."

"According to her, no. She thought that might happen. And I think it was because of the letter her eldest daughter sent several months ago. What had happened with Lara at the tea party she had arranged."

"I remember," Mom replied with a deep sigh. "I guess she thought that since her oldest daughter had already caused a situation, this one might add up and provoke some kind of response from our side." Mom sighed again as she shook her head from side to side and whispered how bad she felt for the poor countess.

"Anyway," Makila continued. "I managed to convince her that something like that wasn't going to happen, that neither her family nor her daughter would be victims of anything. That didn't quite manage to convince her, though." Now it was Makila's turn to sigh.

After a long time trying to convince Isolde that there would be no consequences for the incident, the countess herself asked her for advice on how to correct her daughter's behavior. Katarina surprisingly joined the conversation at that moment and the three of them spent a couple of hours exchanging ideas on the matter.

Despite everything, Isolde still prevented Aria from moving from her place, and only left her with the children of her "faction mates". Makila did not speak about them, but she did make a bitter face at the mention of their presence. I only learned that they were sisters and that they were married to a Baroness; yes, one of them was married to another female, and the other was married to a knight of the Coleng family, another member of the faction that leads the Fondawl Ducal family and of which Isolde Eleios is also a part of.

Well, here came the bad part. Makila told her everything, absolutely everything she saw of my interactions with Yuliana. I had to try very hard not to let the embarrassment show in my expression... but it was very difficult.

Makila was very detailed in pointing out every aspect of my behavior...damn it, she said we looked like Erka and Erias 1 the younger sister chasing the older one across the sky. It sounded so romantic and yet so embarrassing that I couldn't stand it and had to hide my face in Mom's body, pretending to hug her.

And she didn't stop. She told her about Yuliana lying on my shoulder, or when we both enjoyed Ginevere and her monstrous softness... and then Ameli joined in and had to mention when I woke up with Yuliana lying on top of me while I stroked her ears. I wanted to scream, to jump on that maid with her cute but stupid smile and shut her up. Makila looked like she didn't know about it, and remained silent, looking at me with some suspicion. I looked away...

Oh no, don't tell me this world has that cliché about not touching the ears of kemonomimi....

"Heh, so my little girl is already a Rake." Mom said in a mocking tone.

What the heck is a Rake? 2

I just decided to ignore it all, I didn't care anymore. Let them talk about whatever they want, I don't know anything!

*sniff*

Fortunately, my mothers decided not to continue with that, and Makila kept on relating the rest. Mom seemed impressed with how things turned out, congratulating me on making friends, ruffling my hair, and pinching my cheeks. She also showered praise on Ameli, who made a huge effort to hide the smile on her face. It was funny to see her like that.

Finally, a maid arrived announcing that dinner was ready. We left Makila's office and went to eat a delicious dinner that soothed the remaining energy in my body. Sleep began to gain the upper hand, and by the time I had taken the last few bites, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I barely heard Mom's voice ordering Ameli to change my clothes and take me to bed.

After having one of the best days since I came into this world... one of the most stressful days possible occurred.

I was in my usual playroom with Ameli. We were playing that sleight-of-hand game, with me being beaten by who knows how many times in a row when the door burst open. When I looked at who had the nerve to show up in such a rude manner, I shuddered. It was Losward.

He was wearing similar clothes to the last time he came, and his face wore that disgusting grin, with the same look in his eyes, evaluating me as if I were a product he could make a profit on.

Ameli got up from the floor immediately and positioned herself in front of me, shielding me from that look. She gave him a bow and greeted him as a member of the family.

"My Lord Losward, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" asked Ameli, her voice containing a certain tone of wariness.

"Hmm?" Losward gave my maid an annoyed look as if her addressing him was an insult. He snorted and ignored her, heading straight for me.

Ameli stood in his way again, as I hid behind her dress. Losward provoked me with a feeling of danger every time I saw him, and this moment was no different; perhaps it was even worse than before.

"My lord Losward, I must ask you again, to what do I owe the honor of your visit?" reiterated Ameli, this time her tone was much louder and firmer, showing warning towards my brother.

Losward stopped and looked at her more intently, his face distorted into an expression of utter contempt. "Stand aside commoner." He spat.

Ameli didn't move from her spot, staying in front of me, covering me from whatever my brother was trying to do.

Losward, seeing that my servant had no intention of moving, turned impatiently, clicking his tongue. He raised his voice angrily toward Ameli. "I won't tell you again you filthy whore, get out of my way."

At this point, the feeling of danger was replaced by anger.

I don't care if this guy is supposed to be my brother. Insulting my Ameli is something I can't tolerate.

I wanted to step forward, to say so many things to him, but I was stopped by the swish of my servant's tail, which swished and lashed the air like a whip. Her wings which were normally folded behind her back, stretched to half their full length, making the girl look a little more menacing and bigger than she appeared.

Behind Losward stood some of the servants who belonged to his clown faction, whispering amongst themselves, taunting my Ameli.

"My lord Losward" announced the girl with firmness in her voice, attracting everyone's attention, especially my brother who looked at her in surprise. "My duty, given to me by Madam Fiana is to care for and protect young Lady Orinthya. That also includes protecting her from other members of the family, either from the secondary branches or from her siblings. So, I respectfully ask you to state your reasons for entering the room in such a disrespectful manner or leave before I am forced to answer to your actions."

Losward remained silent, watching Ameli warily. While this girl wasn't someone you could call intimidating, at this moment, her tone of voice and body language showed someone willing to fight tooth and nail to do her duty. My brother must have realized this when I saw his irritated expression.

"I see. It was that harlot who put you here."

"..."

"Tch" he clicked his tongue again and took a few steps away from us. "I'll find another way." He said quietly before retreating with his retinue of servants.

Ameli stood his ground staring at the door that was closed by the last of the clowns. She held even for a couple of minutes after their footsteps ceased to be heard in the hallway. I was impressed by the level of alertness at which she remained even when the tense atmosphere had completely disappeared.

Suddenly the girl let out a long sigh, finally relaxing her whole body and falling to her knees on the floor. She let out a groan of relief the instant her hands landed on the ground. I ran to her only to see her eyes fill with tears.

"Lady!" she cried, pulling me into a tight embrace. "I was so scared! I thought he was going to ignore my warning and attack me! What would I have done if that happened? I'm not strong enough to protect you from someone like Lord Losward."

I hugged the poor girl. While it was true that she didn't seem strong enough to stand up to my brother of unknown power, the fact that she planted her feet firmly in front of him, protecting me despite knowing that, made her the best person for the job. Of course, I hoped I would never get to see her putting herself in harm's way to protect me, but she still gave me enough reason to trust her with my safety.

After calming down, the rest of the day passed relatively normally.

I couldn't say the same for the rest of the season, though.

Spring in all worlds, or at least in the 2 that I know of, is a time of rebirth; the blooming of flowers. It is in this season that the world abandons its white and cold mantle for warm and vivid colors, refreshing aromas, and exuberant life that awakens from its lethargy and begins to repopulate the forests.

Light rains usually fall in the mornings, leaving small drops on the flowers, a dew that enhances the beauty of this season.

And it would all be so beautiful if there wasn't someone ruining it with their presence.

Every day was exhausting in a different way than I was used to. I would get up in the mornings, have breakfast, get dressed, and then go to my playroom or the garden together with Ameli, and sometimes some other maid who would come to help her or just use that excuse to chat and spend the day telling gossip and so on.

The problem arose in the afternoons.

From that day at the beginning of spring, Losward returned home. I didn't know if it was permanently or temporarily, since, well, I had no idea what he was doing. Was he working, studying, independent? No one would tell me, but knowing that was the least important thing.

He had made it a habit of showing up in my playroom every afternoon, trying to do something. No one had any idea what it was, but he was always looking for some way to get close to me, and Ameli always made sure to chase him away in some way or another.

Of course, my 3 parents were already aware of this, especially Makila who ordered Ameli that under no circumstances should he be allowed to approach me without supervision from her, Mom or Dad.

Things got complicated when Losward and Mom started arguing loudly one day at dinner. There were many things I didn't understand in that argument, as they talked about situations that happened in the past. Losward hurled very strong insults towards Makila, Dad tried to restrain them, mediating between them, but it was impossible to stop. Zenya ran away in tears and Sarka had to run after her to comfort her. Ameli got me out of the place before things got even more complicated. It was complete chaos that caused everyone in the mansion to behave somberly for several days.

Fortunately, time managed to calm things down, though not enough for everything to be forgotten. Mom and Losward weren't speaking to each other, Makila looked exhausted and Dad was tense every time we had dinner. Not to mention Zenya who had completely lost her usual energy.

That happened at the end of the first month. By the beginning of the second, things changed for the better. Something must have happened, but I couldn't figure out what.

Suddenly Mom and Losward started talking again, albeit with some tension between them, which ended up calming everyone's spirits. I didn't know if he had apologized to Makila, but at least they weren't looking at each other warily anymore.

The eighth day of the second month of the year was... enlightening. Why? Well... that day was my birthday. Unexpected, considering I always thought I was born in the summer. Calculating everything again, gave approximately this date. I became self-conscious about 3 months after I was born. Why 3 months? I had no idea, and with everything that had happened so far in the family, I had no desire to think about it. Sathalia will know why she did it this way.

But enough of all that. It's time to tell a little of what that day was like.

The morning started pretty normal. I had no idea what they had in store for me, so I was just acting as I normally would. Except I noticed that Ameli looked strangely more cheerful than usual, which was very suspicious. Even more so because that day was the first time, I managed to beat her in the Eldoria game 3, and she ended up overacting her congratulations.

Lunch was composed of all my favorite foods, and for some reason, everyone seemed to have the day off. It wasn't until the middle of the afternoon that I finally figured out why they were acting like this.

I was taken into the living room, where the whole family was gathered, and strangely dressed more elegantly than usual. My parents greeted me first, Mom and Makila with a kiss on the cheek, and Dad with one on the forehead. Sarka hugged me warmly and Zenya... she was nowhere to be seen. I looked everywhere, but there was no sign of her, and no one else seemed to mention her.

Before I could think of anything else, I was led to a special chair in the center of the room. It was decorated with some flowers and ribbons that, well, had my favorite colors on them. Violet, blue, black and silver.

From that spot, I saw all my family surrounding me with smiles on their faces. There were also some other people, Tina, Neth, Ameli, 2 maids I didn't know, one with copper hair and green eyes, which was gigantic, way taller than Dad, and the other was a bit similar to how Makila was before. She had short black hair and bright orange eyes they were very similar to the color of the Dragon's balls. She was a little shorter than Neth and had a Valah, which made her an Atenosia just like my mother. The last present was the host butler who conducted the ceremony on Zenya's birthday, who, by the way, had not yet appeared. Not even Kolda, her maid, was present.

With everyone gathered there, it felt a little scary to be the center of attention. Although receiving so many smiles from my family also felt nice and warm.

Suddenly I began to hear a tune start to play from behind my chair. I recognized the sound, not because of the song it was playing, but because of the instrument. A violin.

The tune started soft and slow, just increasing in speed as it got closer. Along with it, a humming began to be heard, a low and deep tone that accompanied the violin and gave more harmony to the song. In front of me, my family members arranged themselves in pairs; Mom and Dad, Makila and Ameli, Sarka and Neth, Tina with the giant maid, and the other maid with the host butler.

They walked in pairs towards me, each taking one of my hands and offering words of congratulations on reaching my first year of life.

Mom and Dad were first.

"Happy first-year sweetie, you are the light of this home." Mom said, looking at me with a big, warm smile.

"Our little star, the blessing of Ameritia." Said Dad, his voice deep and full of pride.

"Congratulations on your first year my little Mishka, you will grow strong and wise, and I know you will make us proud," Makila said, her voice full of delight.

"My young lady, there is no greater pride for me than to be at your service, and I hope to be at your side for a long time to come." sang Ameli, to the rhythm of the music that filled the hall.

"Happy birthday my little sister. This is just the first of many years of joy you're going to bring us." Sarka said, cradling my hand on her cheek and smiling sweetly.

"You are a blessing to us all, grow strong and fair young lady." Complemented Neth, taking my hand firmly and stroking it with her soft antennae.

"Congratulations young lady, your smile brightens our hearts," Tina said, kneeling in front of me.

"This will be the first year of many wonderful years in your life. This humble Orelia assures you of that." Said the giant maid, giving me a wink and an amused smile.

"Happy first birthday, young lady. This humble Felia wishes you happiness and the blessings of the great mother to accompany you throughout your life." Said the Atenosia maid. Different from the others, she did not let a smile show, but her look was enough to know that there was joy in her.

"Congratulations my young lady. This butler Algoros wishes that this milestone marks the beginning of a life full of prosperity." Said the host butler, whom I finally got to know his name. He bowed elegantly and smiled at me like a fox hiding a thousand tricks. It was a bit strange.

The music slowly lowered in volume and intensity, until I finally caught sight of the performers.

Zenya walked next to my place and stood in front of me. Kolda walked behind her and stopped next to her. My sister was dressed very differently from what I expected to see on her. A very masculine formal suit; a long-sleeved white shirt, a burgundy vest, and long pants held up by suspenders of the same color as the vest, matching her wonderful red hair, tied in a high ponytail.

Traces of sweat were dripping down her forehead and face, with small locks and stray hairs clinging to her cheeks. She was breathing with some difficulty as she held what appeared to be a violin in her hands, which she handed to Kolda who held it gently.

Zenya looked at me with a smile from ear to ear. She walked over to me, getting down on her knees and hugging me from her low position.

"That's my gift to you Tya. My first performance. You gave me your first steps, now I give you my first song." She said in a very satisfied voice.

I... I didn't know what to think.

When I took my first steps for her on her birthday, I wanted her to see me and think how much effort I had put into it, how much I wanted her to see how much I loved her, how important my sister is to me. And now that I'm on the other side, seeing how much effort she put into it, how much she wants me to realize how much she loves me and how important I am to her, to everyone in my family, I... I just don't know what to say.

A warm feeling began to bubble up inside my chest. What was that feeling? It made me feel safe and protected. It was like a soft embrace that enveloped me and soothed me. I could feel tears running down my cheeks. I hugged Zenya and didn't want to let go. I simply wanted to hold her in my arms, to make sure she was there. The rest of my family came over a moment later and joined in the hug as I sobbed quietly.

I feel... loved. That's the feeling. I... am loved by them.

From the moment I saw them for the first time, I always knew that they were a real family, that they loved each other, and, even though they showed or told me so, I never fully accepted it. I was not used to receiving love from others. Even if I had my sister Nadia in my life. Once she grew up, she became quite independent, and things like showing appreciation physically or verbally were rare, and never went beyond a hug or occasional gifts. It was all unspoken between us, we just knew and that was it.

Whether it was my insecurities or the fear that this was all just a comatose dream; I could never really feel that what they were telling me or trying to show me, was real.

But this time, right here and now, I can feel the feelings they want to convey. I can finally realize that they, my family, really love me, and that is something truly indescribable. To know that there are people next to me who sincerely care, and who think about my well-being, my health, and my happiness. To know that those people exist and I can see them, that I can touch them, is something I can't put into words even if I tried.

What could I do to let them know that their feelings have finally reached me?

Is there any way I could let them know directly?

There is.

There is a way, and it is something I have not been able to do until now.

No, that's a lie.

I tried, I practiced, but I never really did it because, perhaps, deep inside me, I was afraid that if I did it, this dream would be over. I was afraid that if I succeeded it would be the old me and... I would wake up from the dream.

But this time there was no more doubt, no more fear. I was determined to say just what I wanted to say, I took a moment to prepare myself, to breathe, and to say it correctly. I waited until the happy laughter stopped until no one else said anything, and the sound of our breaths became background noise. Then I opened my mouth and spoke for the first time in this life.

"Family... I... love..."

Those were my first words. The sincerest I could bestow on them, on my family, MY beloved family.

Perhaps to some, they were not impressive or overly meaningful words, but to me they were. They expressed exactly what I wanted to say to them as simple as they were. And it had the desired effect.

Gasps of surprise, shocked looks, an incredibly loud laugh from my father, and then, a raucous celebration. Laughter erupted in the place, cheers and even applause. Everyone was excited and happy for my first words. I was too. Seeing their excited faces, filled with indescribable happiness was contagious.

The excitement and happiness rubbed off on me, and for some reason, I felt like something had unlocked in my mind and mouth. From my place, standing on the chair; my little birthday throne, I pointed to Mom, who looked at me curiously.

"Mami!" I said to her. She opened her eyes wide in disbelief. But I didn't give her time to respond. I pointed to Dad and shouted "Papi!" and he responded by laughing even louder than before.

I accompanied his laughter with my own, mimicking his fists-on-the-waist pose and lifting my chin.

I didn't want to lose momentum and pointed at Makila immediately. "Kila!" I said and... she started crying. Wow, I kind of expected it somehow, even though I couldn't pronounce the word the way I wanted to, but I'm sure she appreciated the way I said it.

Sarka approached me at that instant. Her eyes were shining with expectation. She seemed to think that, if I was calling my parents, maybe she could hear me say her name too. I almost wanted to stay quiet and watch her reaction, but I quickly buried that thought. This was not the time to mess with her, it was a time to express my love for my family.

"Sasa!" I said, staring at her and smiling proudly. She, of course, squealed with joy and scooped me up in her arms, spinning me around as she held me above her. I laughed with joy, enjoying every second of it. When I finally got off; fortunately, not feeling dizzy, I looked over to my other sister and pointed at her. She smiled at me, knowing what was coming.

"Zea!" I shouted and she immediately hugged me, kissing my cheeks.

The giggles of joy didn't stop. I was assaulted by tickling from Zenya, making me laugh uncontrollably. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ameli with a lonely smile, her eyes downcast and shoulders slumped. For a moment I wondered why she looked like that, but it immediately dawned on me. She was feeling left out. Sure, she's not a direct part of the family, but everything she's done for me so far deserves a small gift from me.

I managed to separate myself from Zenya and looked directly at my maid without saying anything. She noticed me and was surprised by the intensity of my gaze. Everyone else noticed my action and focused their attention on the girl who seemed to get more and more nervous the more time passed. Then, I decided to attack.

"Ali!" I said, smiling at her. She froze in place, didn't react, didn't move, didn't do anything but stare at me in disbelief. Makila approached her and, with a few pats on the back managed to bring her out of her stupefied state. Ameli looked between Makila and me, almost wondering what she should do, and, like a good boss/mentor, gave her a little push, prompting her to walk. She approached me, nervous, not knowing what she should do or say. She seemed to think that she shouldn't be there, that it wasn't her place to be "named" by me. Doubts were completely painted on her face, and it was my duty to wipe them away.

"Ali, family," I said. She looked at me in disbelief. She looked to Makila in panic, who nodded firmly, then to my parents, who responded in kind, and then back to me. She knelt in front of me, and before she could even utter a single word, I put my hand on her head and said firmly, "Family."

That was enough to convince her.

Surprisingly she shed no tears at my words, but smiled very satisfied and proud and simply let me stroke her hair.

After that, well, we celebrated. Dad took out a bottle, apparently of some kind of liquor, and, in the middle of a quick speech about some tradition I didn't quite understand, said that this liquor, a kind of mead made with raval fruit, my favorite, was bottled on the day of my birth and that on the day I came of age he would give it to me so we could share the first drink. Of course, I wouldn't refuse. I wasn't a big fan of alcohol in my other life, but a drink now and then wouldn't hurt, right?

With that action from Dad, the rest decided it was the perfect time to bring out their gifts. Mom handed me a small jewelry box, and inside was a simple pendant, with a round, red gem. It was made of a material I couldn't recognize, but it was a very beautiful blue-green color.

Sarka gave me a hair brooch, it was made of the same material as the pendant, and had a beautiful green gem in the center. I gave them both a kiss on the cheek, making Mom look very happy and Sarka almost fainted on the spot.

Makila came up after them. In her arms, she carried a not-too-big trunk, similar in size to a small treasure chest.

Makila set it down on the floor in front of me and told me that this trunk was for me to keep important things, anything I considered valuable, including the gifts I was receiving. The trunk was enchanted so that only I could open it. I received it with great joy as I could now store anything I considered a treasure. Makila warned me with a serious face that although I could keep anything I wanted I should not put animals, insects, or any living thing inside and not to put things inside that I should not. I looked at her confused but her serious face made me nod quickly. I wasn't quite sure what she meant, but I wasn't going to question her.

It was exciting to have this gift, not only because of everything it could hold and protect inside but because it was an enchanted object. It was magic - MAGIC! And it was mine!

I hugged and kissed Makila on the cheek in happiness and gratitude. She hugged me back and wrapped her tail around me. It was very soft and nice.

After Makila, Zenya arrived. She was empty-handed, except for the violin she still carried with her. I had my suspicion that her only gift had been the song she played at the beginning, and she looked a little uncomfortable not having something in her hands to give me other than that. I snorted as I smiled and opened my arms asking her for a hug. There were no words, but I think she understood what I wanted to convey to her. We shared a hug and I also rewarded her with a kiss on the cheek. Zenya pulled away a while later with a huge smile on her face.

Behind her came Tina. I honestly didn't expect to receive a gift from her, so I was very surprised. She handed me, on a small dark blue cushion, a silver tiara with different colored gems. Tina related that the tiara also had an enchantment and that it would accommodate my growth so that I could continue to wear it to any event as I grew up.

I looked at the object in awe, wondering how a maid could afford to buy such a thing. The question must have been very obviously painted on my face, as Tina started laughing and explained that the gift was on behalf of all the servants in the family. Yes, it had been expensive, but it was a token of appreciation from all of them.

Her words moved me. I looked at the other 5 servants behind, Neth, Kolda, Orelia, Felia, and Algoros, who gave me a bow and a smile. I signaled them all to come forward, and, a little confused they did. Tina was first, I kissed her on the cheek and a "ta-ta" or thank you in my attempt to speak. Next was Neth, who curiously wore a different mask. I don't quite remember when she changed it, but it was much fancier and more expensive-looking than the previous one I met her with. Oddly enough, from that day on she looked much more cheerful. I wonder what happened?

Next was Kolia. I hadn't known her long, but I did notice that she took very good care of my sister, and that was good enough for me. The same went for Orelia, Felia, and Algoros, a kiss on the cheek and a thank you to each. They were all nice people and the fact that they had thought of this, of giving me something so valuable made me want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.

They were all happy with my way of thanking them, they laughed with joy. It was an atmosphere full of smiles.

Finally, my Ameli approached me. She looked a little uncomfortable and nervous, but I decided to wait patiently for her. She stood in front of me and then knelt. She hesitated for a long while, looking between the floor and me, until finally she took a deep breath and pulled out a handkerchief of a very pretty pastel light blue color.

"Y-young lady. I... I made this handkerchief for you. It's... it's not something expensive and it doesn't have gems or impressive materials, but... I... I... I put all my effort into making it. F-for you." She said, offering it carefully.

I took her gift. It was a very soft fabric, pleasant to the touch. Its color was very beautiful, with an embroidery in golden threads and, it had some symbols in one of the corners. I pointed to it, asking what that was and she answered immediately, a little panicked as if she was scared of something.

"Th-th-th-th-those are your initials, young lady. I-I-I'm... I'm not too good at embroidery, so I wanted to do something s-simple but that would look nice."

I see. This gift contained effort, her thoughts for me, and her desire to give me something special.

Ameli, oh Ameli. You really are a very special girl.

"Ali" I called her. She tried to avoid my gaze as if she was afraid, I was going to refuse her gift.

"..."

"Ali" I called her again, in my softest, gentlest voice I could manage. Finally, she looked up at me. I smiled at her from the bottom of my heart as I hugged the scarf to my chest. "ta-ta, Ali." I said, and signaling her to come closer, I kissed her forehead and hugged her head. The poor girl panicked, making "ababababa" noises but slowly calmed down and just let me do whatever I wanted.

There was some giggling among the others, but I didn't pay attention. My Ameli was a lovely girl. I was lucky to have her with me. To have this family.

The party continued after that. We ate a lot; I drank my favorite juice until I was full. I played with my parents and my sisters to exhaustion. I enjoyed every second of my first birthday. Zenya had pulled out her camera.... Uh... Kadotype... and we took a lot of lumigraphs. I hadn't noticed it before, but there had been some from the beginning. It was Algoros who had been using the artifact without me noticing.

In short, this day had positioned itself as my best memory in this life. Just ahead of meeting my little angel. She was an adorable little girl, but my family came first.

The day, thank the goddess, ended without incident, without any servants looking at me in disgust, without the appearance of Losward. He hadn't left yet, but it seems he hates any kind of family celebration. He's an arrogant bastard, but, as hypocritical as it sounds to say it after all I've said so far about him, I wish he had been present. At least then I could have said that, even though he was trouble, he considered us his family. But that, it seemed, was expecting too much of him.

With that, my first year of life came to an end. So much happened this year, I met so many people, I understood the love of my family, and... I think I'm finally starting to adjust to this new world. There were so many things to learn, so many things to do, and... well, now I have grown up. I can't wait to talk about all the new things in my life.