I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 93
CHAPTER 93
“Thank goodness……”
I packed Betty’s gifts, which I barely managed to get, with tears of relief streaming down my face.
The things I had thought to give Betty were items that would take at least a day to acquire, almost giving up.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll check my inventory for you!”
Ringo readily volunteered, which allowed me to find much better quality items than I had expected.
“Take as much as you want from Duke Marcus’ warehouse, Master.”
Lionel cooperated.
However, it was Lady Marcus who actually found and handed over the items.
“I’ve got everything ready.”
I proudly looked at the three boxes in front of me.
In addition to what I originally intended to give, I had also prepared other potential gifts.
‘I’m proud!’
As I chuckled happily, I still noticed Arkin fidgeting with the boxes next to me.
Yesterday evening, Arkin, who had come over to play, had just found out about Betty’s surprise party.
“I, I want to participate too! Me too!!”
He expressed his enthusiastic willingness to participate.
And this morning, from early in the morning, he had been occupying the seat next to me.
“But Arkin.”
“Y-yes?”
As if trying to tie a pretty ribbon on the box, Arkin, with his hands tightly clenched, responded vaguely.
“Weren’t your gifts already nicely wrapped?”
The gifts Arkin had prepared were beautifully wrapped from the start.
With ribbons of two different colors and colorful boxes.
But seeing me personally wrapping gifts, he had taken the seat next to me, saying he would do it too.
“Well, doing it yourself seems nice……”
Arkin blinked as he said that.
And I witnessed something unexpected.
‘Is his cheek blushing right now?’
Arkin’s cheek was slightly, really slightly, flushed.
Could it be?
“Sis.”
“Y-yes?”
Managing to tie the ribbon somewhat clumsily, Arkin held up a small box and looked at me.
“Do you think your maid will like this? I tied it up well……”
I see!
I slapped my forehead.
Unless I thought about it, he wouldn’t take care of others so well.
He wasn’t the kid who used to call me ‘hey!’ at first.
“Is it weird to tie it up like this? What do you think, sis?”
I chuckled as I watched the fussy Arkin.
How cute.
“Yeah, I think it suits her well.”
Although the five-year age difference does take a little getting used to.
Well, since Betty is also quite cute.
Wouldn’t it be okay?
“But sis, why have you been smiling so much since earlier? It’s weird.”
“Yeah, why?”
“…You seem ominous.”
Arkin took a step back with a hesitant gait.
Whether he said it or not.
I chuckled and looked at our Arkin.
“…You’re teasing me again!”
Arkin tensed his eyes. Maybe because he was being teased a lot.
His already quick intuition had become even sharper.
“No!”
I grabbed Arkin who had suddenly stood up.
Then I patted the seat next to me.
“Just, something reminded me of something. Sit back down. I’ll teach you how to tie the ribbon prettier.”
“Really?”
Arkin’s gaze was filled with suspicion.
But he promptly sat down next to me.
“S-so, how should I tie it to make it pretty?”
“Here, I’ll show you.”
I picked up a ribbon from the table.
“Can’t you just tie it for me? I think mine looks a little weird.”
Arkin shook his head sullenly.
“No, wouldn’t Betty like it better if you tied it?”
“Really?”
“Really.”
I grinned and handed Arkin a ribbon that I had cut to the right length.
“You tied this one nicely too. If you tie another small ribbon here, it’ll look cute. Like this…”
“Okay.”
As I demonstrated, Arkin began to tie the small ribbon with his tiny hands.
Seeing Arkin like that made the corners of my mouth rise.
‘So adorable.’
The freshness of it all was just too cute.
As I stroked his hair, Arkin, who had been focused on the ribbon, looked up.
“Why, sis?”
He tilted his head to the side.
Forget it!
“Ahhh!”
I suddenly hugged Arkin tightly, and Arkin screamed.
* * *
“Ahh, ahhh.”
To cut to the chase, Betty’s surprise party was a great success.
It was natural, considering that everyone in the palace, including me, participated, but still.
“What’s all this? What’s all this!”
Returning momentarily from my errand, Betty bounced around the dining room, filled with food and gifts.
Each time, her fluffy crimson hair swayed in two directions.
“Are all these really for me?”
“Indeed!”
The head chef, who stood closest to the entrance, smiled.
“It’s your birthday, after all. Congratulations.”
“Congratulations!”
Clap clap clap!!
Gathered in the dining room as if they had been waiting, people congratulated her with applause.
“Now, Betty.”
I approached Betty, holding a cake carefully crafted by the chef.
“Happy birthday.”
“……!!”
Betty’s big eyes twinkled, and then she burst into tears.
I thought she was crying out of joy, but she suddenly sat down and began to cry.
“Oh my, why are you crying? Hm?”
“T-that’s…”
As I gently wiped her tears and placed the cake on the table, Betty hesitated and raised her head.
“I keep thinking about last year…… We were just, hmp, so modest with Your Highness then.”
Although others might have described it as modest out of consideration for others’ eyes, it would have been quite dismal.
“I keep remembering that time.”
Betty continued to sniffle, her round teardrops falling continuously.
“That’s right.”
I nodded.
Even though I didn’t remember, I could imagine how it must have been.
“Well, let’s enjoy today, Betty.”
I held both her hands and lifted Betty.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Betty stood up, sniffing, then smiled.
“Come on, sit here. The protagonist!”
“Eat all of this and rest well. Today, you don’t have to work, just enjoy.”
“Let’s open the gifts and have fun.”
Seated in the middle of the table, Betty giggled as she looked at the pile of gifts and food.
“Let’s all sit together and share the food!”
As she said this, she put a fork in her mouth and rolled her eyes gently.
“Can I open the gifts first?”
“Of course you can.”
As I nodded, Betty immediately reached out to me.
Seeing her eyes sparkle, it seemed she was looking forward to my gift.
I must meet her expectations!
With a confident smile, I took out the prepared boxes.
“Wow, three of them!”
Betty jumped in excitement. Then she reached for the largest box.
“No!”
I handed her the smallest box among the ones I prepared.
“Open this one first. We’ll get to the others later, but this one’s the real deal.”
That’s right.
This was the real one I prepared.
Ringo had searched every herbal shop in the Byron shopping street for this.
And with the help of Marcus, the Duke, we managed to obtain it.
Honestly, I didn’t think I could get this.
“What’s the matter?”
Even other people subtly turned their heads behind Betty, towards me.
“Alright, let’s open it!”
After untying the golden ribbon, Betty eagerly rubbed her hands together.
Then she carefully lifted the lid.
“……?”
She froze.
Even others froze in place.
“Your, Your Highness.”
Betty blinked as she raised the box to show its contents.
“W-what’s this? What is it?”
Inside the box was an adorable thing.
“W-what’s this strange thing??”
Well, to my eyes.
“A-a bug?”
“It’s a bug, but it’s growing something weird on it……”
“It’s really big.”
The reaction wasn’t great.
Why is that?
Ah, I see.
“This is valuable.”
She probably didn’t like it because she didn’t know what it was.
In that case, I just need to explain.
I brightened my eyes.
“It’s one of the herbs that grow on bugs as parasites. It heals almost any wound, especially useful for internal injuries.”
It might not be among the top tier of miracle medicines, but it was still a precious herb.
It was always scarce because it only grew on small bugs.
However!
The bug I gifted right now was the biggest among them all!!
Its size was almost half of my fist.
“It’s okay to sell it as an emergency fund!”
It’s incredibly expensive, this one!
Twist!!
Before I could finish my sentence, the bug, unbelievably, wriggled as if it was still alive.
“It’s moving!!”
Ahhh!!
People screamed and scattered.
Betty, holding the box, turned pale.
‘…Why?’
I blinked.
Betty turns pale, falling while running away, and people go crazy.
Even Liena seemed to stagger as if she would faint.
“Wow, amazing!!”
The only one with shining eyes was Raven.
What’s going on??
Arkin trembled, looking at the chaos.
“Sis, let’s choose the next gift together.”
“……”
“It’s okay, humans learn as they grow.”
Not cute?
Am I the only one who thinks it’s cute?
Really???