Olivia's room is now dark.
Olivia, who had just returned from a long-awaited dinner at Forest Friends, was patting her full stomach and looking at the door.
"Hehe... I'm full."
Wearing a cone-shaped hat.
Olivia smiles pleasantly.
Olivia, whose world seemed to shine with a full stomach, was waiting for the gift-giving ceremony that would mark the end of her birthday.
"Hmm."
Olivia had low expectations for the gift.
Knowing Ricardo's financial situation, Olivia assumed that the only gifts he could give him, since he was earning money on his own, were a scarf or gloves.
And yet, Olivia was so satisfied with her day.
I ate at Forest Friends, and Ricardo bought me everything I wanted to eat.
Olivia had decided not to have any regrets or expectations about gifts, having spent the day eating everything she wanted rather than receiving expensive gifts.
Olivia is ready to be delighted with even the smallest gift.
"Why aren't you coming..."
The butler who went to get the gift did not return even after 10 minutes.
-You'll be surprised, so wait.
The butler uttered a meaningful remark and descended to the first floor. I didn't want to wait, but my heart pounded with anticipation, and I couldn't help it.
Now, the only person who will celebrate my birthday is my butler.
Friends who had showered him with expensive gifts left him with his downfall, and the nobles who had tried to gain the prestige of their family fell away without sending him a single letter.
There was no family left.
Ricardo was the only one who celebrated his birthday, even though he had no friends left.
Ricardo, who always celebrated my birthday.
Ricardo, who would wake up on my birthday morning and give me a personally wrapped gift along with the greeting, "Happy Birthday," still stayed by my side as time passed.
‘I treated you really badly…’
Ricardo celebrated my birthday consistently.
The birthday of a wicked woman who left the wrapping paper unopened and shoved it in the closet.
Even though he had bluntly refused the scarf he had knitted himself, Ricardo did not feel sad and appeared before him the following year with another gift.
-happy birthday.
-It's cheap.
-I spent some money this time.
-What about money...
-Then, will you give me a raise?
-This is good...!
Your past self will know too.
How sincere Ricardo was on his birthday.
It was Ricardo who gave expensive gifts like gold bracelets to her on the subject of receiving a salary.
A hairpin with a jewel on it.
A homemade scarf.
Rings made of pure gold, etc.
Ricardo, who gave gifts that were beyond his capacity.
I spent a month's salary. No, three months' salary on gifts, yet I didn't wear them.
Because I was embarrassed to show it to others.
It was too shabby and too flashy for a nobleman like Desmund to wear. Olivia always stuffed Ricardo's gifts into her closet.
'Stupidly.'
It must have been six years since Ricardo celebrated my birthday.
Ricardo's gift began to change.
A more expensive gift.
Not flashy jewelry.
It's become a gift that no one can see, like perfume or candy. He didn't say he was embarrassed to wear it, but he must have been heartbroken by the fact that he hasn't worn it even once despite receiving gifts.
Olivia knew that her past self was bad.
He couldn't say he was kind even now, but he himself acknowledged that when he proudly wore the name Desmunt, he was incomparably sharper than he is now, and Ricardo knew that too.
Because I grew up like a flower in a greenhouse, and instead of criticizing people around me, I was always supported and told that I was right.
My personality was bound to become twisted.
It's not that those people were bad.
Just. It's just a little regretful. If there had been even one more person to criticize Ricardo like he did, he wouldn't have been so cruel to him.
"...bad year."
Olivia took a moment to reflect on her past mistakes with a bitter smile.
Now, let's not throw it away but take good care of it.
Olivia would eat chocolate with relish if given, but if she received a gift that didn't disappear, she would swear to keep it.
-Thump...thump...thump!
The butler's footsteps could be heard climbing the stairs beyond the door.
Ricardo puts something down in front of the door with a thud, making loud footsteps as if carrying a heavy object.
He went down the stairs without stopping, and then he started to climb up the stairs busily, making a 'thud' sound.
“What are you doing…?”
At the sound of Ricardo's busy footsteps, Olivia tilted her head and clenched her fists around the hem of her skirt.
Olivia bows her head with a shy smile, saying, "I can't help but look forward to it."
Olivia kept bursting out laughing.
-Whew... Okay.
Ricardo's muttering could be heard from beyond the door as he finished preparing.
Ricardo opens the door with a knock.
"Miss, I'm going in."
The door creaked open.
"Puhahaha...! What the...!"
Ricardo's face, still wearing the makeup I had seen in the morning, came into view.
Olivia laughed, holding her belly.
Wearing a puffy red dress.
It's funny to see Ricardo with his ridiculous white beard and red ball on his bear nose.
"Ahahahaha... haa... puhahahahaha!!! What is that!"
Olivia smiled happily and pointed at Ricardo.
"Oh... it's Santa."
Ricardo spoke to himself in a solemn voice.
Santa.
Olivia didn't know what Santa was, but she thought he was a very funny person.
Ricardo sighed and put the red bundle he was carrying on his back on the floor.
"Hahaha Mary... no, happy birthday."
Ricardo celebrated his birthday with a comical look. Ricardo glanced at his own anticipation and swallowed hard.
It seems like he feels burdened by Olivia's gaze.
"Keuh-hem! That's that..."
Ricardo was holding back laughter, as if he himself found the situation funny.
Olivia spoke honestly to Ricardo, who was acting awkward.
"I forgot Ambassador Ricardo."
"Don't make me laugh. It's hard to maintain the concept."
Ricardo was faithful to the concept.
Ricardo opened the bundle, pushing away the bear that was jumping up and down and trying to lick his face.
Take out the chocolate shaped like a gold coin.
"oh...!"
Take out your scarf to survive the cold winter.
"Heeeek!"
Ricardo takes out a thick fur coat.
Ricardo began to speak to Olivia with a solemn expression.
"Ms. Olivia."
"why?"
"You should speak politely to Santa Claus."
Olivia glared at Ricardo with a fresh look.
"no."
"...Then there's nothing I can do."
He was a butler who had a hard time maintaining his concept.
Ricardo looked at the presents he had placed on the floor and spoke. He began his year-end review, reflecting on the mistakes he had made and the things that had upset him.
"Do you remember stealing the chocolate in March?"
It was a funny prank.
Olivia nodded, matching Ricardo's rhythm.
"Yeah. I stole one."
"Stealed 3 lies. Confiscate 10% of the gifts."
Ricardo puts the chocolate gold coins he had dropped on the floor into his bag along with the word "confiscate."
I asked Ricardo if there was any reason to cut down on birthday presents, but Ricardo's efforts to maintain the concept were more stubborn than I thought.
"Hmm... In June, he stole the gold coins that were on the desk, so 50% was confiscated."
"Eeeeek! This is violent! Resign!"
"I don't like it."
Olivia's gifts began to dwindle under Ricardo's keen memory. Now, all that remained were three chocolates shaped like gold coins.
Olivia looked at Ricardo with an annoyed expression.
"Bad!"
"It's the fault of the girl who lived as a bad adult."
It was Ricardo, who was offering words of encouragement to live well from now on. He put the three chocolates on the floor into a bundle.
"Overall, this year..."
"Gulp..."
"You cried too much, young lady."
"No! That would upset Ricardo..."
"Shh. I won't listen to excuses."
Olivia held out her hand with a sullen expression as she saw Ricardo putting all the gifts into a bundle.
"Give it to me."
"I don't like it."
"Give it to me!"
"It's our company's policy not to give gifts to crying adults..."
Ricardo, returning to the concept, looked at the outstretched hand and said.
"but."
Ricardo gave a small smile as he grabbed her white wrist.
"There are still gifts left that the butler prepared."
Ricardo grabbed her wrist and started searching through his pockets with a small smile.
and.
"uh?"
I began to slip something shiny onto my wrist. A cool sensation washed over my wrist, and a familiar bracelet design appeared before my eyes.
A bracelet encrusted with diamonds.
"Uh...uh...this..."
Olivia stuttered like an idiot in embarrassment. She should have asked why it was here, how she got it... but her heart was so heavy that she couldn't find the words.
Ricardo said, letting go of Olivia's hand.
"It suits you well. It really suits you well..."
Ricardo, with his white beard and a happy smile on his face, looked at the bracelet on his white wrist and said.
"Happy birthday."
"This... this is really expensive..."
Olivia, with tears welling up in her eyes, looked at the bracelet and said.
Olivia speaks in a choked voice.
Ricardo shook his head and answered lightly as if it were nothing.
"I tried a little."
Ricardo was always the one who gave us nothing but emotion.
Olivia cried out in sobs.
"It's expensive...!"
“It’s expensive, so drive it well.”
"This... turn it off... sniffle..."
Olivia spoke to Ricardo, sniffling at her runny nose.
"It's so... expensive...!"
"So you don't like it?"
"No...! I... this... really... I'll wear it well and carry it around."
Ricardo looked at Olivia's white wrist, covered with bracelets, once more and said, "I'm glad it suits you. I'm glad you like it."
Ricardo said, holding her white hand tightly.
"I'll give you a better gift next time."
"This too... I love it!"
Olivia hugged the bracelet and cried.
I thought this year's birthday would be unforgettable.
***
Ricardo smiled awkwardly and looked at the wooden box he had hidden behind the door.
[Ferxley Unit 1]
'I'll give it to you in a bit.'
Ricardo smiled happily.