"So, what is this again?"
Rellia sat surrounded by four friends, gazing at a mysterious fountain pen placed on the table.
The fountain pen looked undeniably high-end, with jewels embedded in it, exuding an extraordinary aura.
It was Romeo who had brought this fountain pen.
"I specially requested my father to have it made. It's a bit early, but it's a gift for you all who will be returning to your home countries."
"But what about what you said earlier? You mentioned magic was cast on it."
At Rellia's question, Romeo chuckled and swept back his golden hair. Then he said with a hint of pride.
"This is a fountain pen that allows the five of us to share messages. If someone writes a letter, it will be transmitted exactly to all five people."
"Wow!"
Rellia exclaimed briefly. It was indeed a gift befitting a prince of a magical power.
Romeo gave a brief demonstration. When he wrote characters on a random piece of paper, paper appeared next to the other four fountain pens.
Romeo: It's my gift.
Moreover, thanks to the names engraved on the fountain pens, they could tell who had written the message.
"That's killer."
Calix also expressed delight, finding it fascinating. Oscar and Griffiths also seemed pleased with the gift.
"So make sure everyone writes letters even after you go back. Oh right, the jewel embedded at this end is a magic stone? If this comes out, you won't be able to exchange letters, so be careful."
At Romeo's words, Rellia smiled brightly as she looked at the fountain pen.
'Right, I should use it diligently until the Crown Prince officially dies.'
Even as Rellia made this resolution, she kept glancing at Calix sitting across from her.
Perhaps because she had thought about this child's future yesterday, she found herself paying more attention to him today than usual. Especially those amber eyes.
"Hey, captain crybaby. What are you glaring at like that?"
"Who's a crybaby!"
"It wasn't you? Guys, even without me-e-e, you guys a-a-are… hu-u-uk…."
Calix teasingly mimicked Rellia crying from before. Rellia could no longer hold back and opened the fountain pen cap, rushing at him.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"W-wait. Leo!"
Oscar and Griffiths each grabbed one of her arms to stop her.
The next day. Rellia celebrated her real birthday together with her friends.
The children commemorated the day together as she requested, without even knowing whose birthday it was.
It was the last birthday she would spend with her friends.
They gathered together in her room's living area, placed a birthday cake, and lit the candles.
"Thank you for celebrating with me, guys."
Rellia blew out the candles and smiled at them.
"She's crying again."
At Calix's words, she glared.
"Whose birthday is it that you're even crying?"
"D-don't tell me… a dead girlfriend…?"
Griffiths and Oscar asked in turn, but Rellia shouted "I didn't cry!" and vigorously wiped her eyes.
Perhaps because she thought of it as the last birthday she'd spend with them, tears had come out.
"Leo, don't tell me you don't have a mom either? Is it actually your birth mother's birthday or something?"
"……."
At Romeo's question, Rellia gazed at him with a sour expression.
Hey, how could you say something like that….
'Huh? Come to think of it….'
Rellia blinked as she looked at the children. Somehow it really turned out….
'It's a gathering of kids without moms, completely!'
Oscar lost his mother when he was young, killed by his father, the Psycho Emperor.
Also, Calix lost both parents right after he was born, so he never even saw their faces.
And Griffiths didn't have his birth mother either. He only had a stepmother who hated him.
Even Romeo's mother had committed suicide in front of her son's eyes during his childhood.
Finally, Rellia's mother had also passed away.
"……."
Rellia abruptly stopped her tears and started eating the cake. The other children didn't ask anything more either.
For some reason, she felt too apologetic at the thought of appearing to cry because of her mother in front of these children.
They were all children with heartbreaking stories, with no way to determine who was more unfortunate.
However, Rellia still thought her situation was slightly better.
At least she remembered her past life and knew what would happen in the future.
Moreover, her friends would participate in the dragon subjugation battle a few years later and truly go through hell.
"Thank you. For celebrating with me."
Rellia smiled at her friends who were eating cake.
She wanted to tell them truthfully that it was her birthday, but she kept her lips tightly sealed.
'Next year I'll be spending it alone again.'
Rellia stopped her lonely thoughts and made a resolution. During the remaining time ahead, she would create even more memories she would never forget for the rest of her life.