Upon hearing this, Aya also had some faint recollection. I remember when I was caught and brought back, it seemed that I heard that Tiran had just turned seventeen not long ago. It was early autumn back then, and now it's the end of summer, so if you calculate it this way, it seems about right.
"Oh, Aya, that expression of yours, could it be that you don't know Tiran's birthday? (•́ω•̀ )" The mother-in-law looked at Aya meaningfully.
"Uh..." Aya's expression suddenly became somewhat stiff.
So, it seemed that neither he nor Tiran had really known each other's birthdays. For Aya, it didn't matter much, as an immortal, birthdays would quickly become tiresome if celebrated every year. So there wasn't much sense of ceremony in the beginning, except for slightly commemorating important milestones like ten or a hundred years. But for humans, birthdays should be a big deal, right?
"Hehe, it's okay, help me celebrate Tiran's birthday together, and we won't dwell on it." Vivian waved her hand in a tolerant manner. "Good, Aya, you can offer a different perspective as an outsider."
"Umm, celebrating Miss Tiran's birthday is fine, but how should we do it?" Aya poked at the pancakes on her plate with a fork.
"I haven't figured it out yet."
Even though she hadn't really thought about it, Vivian said confidently, and Aya couldn't help but sigh.
"Don't look so dreary, I did consider it a bit. Otherwise, I wouldn't have suggested going to the beach, at least the location for the celebration is decided, right?" Vivian stood up, poked Aya's nose, looking a bit annoyed.
"So the celebration activities are a beach barbecue and fireworks show?" Aya casually guessed, but then she noticed Vivian's expression stiffen.
"Why do you know that just from a little consideration? Mind reading?" Vivian looked at Aya in shock.
"I just randomly guessed two classic activities, who knew I'd hit the mark... Isn't this too mainstream? Even I know these are common human activities." Aya shrugged, "By the way, when is Tiran's birthday?"
"September 15th," Vivian answered, cutting a piece of pancake with her fork and eating it nonchalantly.
... Not even a change in expression, does she really find this taste acceptable?
Subconsciously focusing on Vivian's moving cheeks, Aya drifted off for a moment before shaking her head vigorously.
"Still a long time to go, we can think about it slowly." Aya forced herself to shift her focus from the pancakes and continued, "Instead of activities, um, mother-in-law, shouldn't the birthday present be a more important expression of our feelings? Can I ask what kind of gifts Tiran has received for her birthdays in the past?"
"Well, I used to plan to make a birthday cake for little Tiran myself, but my husband and Brad always stopped me, so I had to settle for some ordinary things, like... hmm, the first time she practiced swordsmanship, I gave her a sword called 'Winter's Claw.'"
The princess's mother lowered her head in recollection.
"Ah, that sounds pretty cool."
"And there was the time of her coming-of-age ceremony when I suggested building the Gilliast Castle with my husband."
"... Please, Vivian, that can hardly be considered an ordinary birthday gift." Aya couldn't help but cover her face, interrupting Vivian's words.
"But after she reached adulthood, Tiran moved to this side of the lighthouse by herself, and often isn't at the castle, so I haven't given her any birthday gifts in the past two years... sigh, a mother really wants to celebrate her daughter's birthday..."
The desire to celebrate a child's birthday is a normal feeling for parents. Aya was inexplicably moved, as it seemed that even royals weren't entirely devoid of human sentiment, contrary to what one might expect from novels and legends.
"Oh, dear, my husband and I are going on a trip. You're at an age where you need to venture out on your own, so do your best!" Suddenly, a passage of text from years ago that Aya had kept in the depths of her mind surfaced.
Damn, why is there such a difference between parents! Forget about birthdays, just avoiding getting screwed over by my dear parents would be great.
"Mother-in-law... I mean, Princess Vivian!" Aya took a deep breath, suddenly serious, and stood up, holding Vivian's left hand with both of hers, looking into her eyes. "Please, let's celebrate Miss Tiran's birthday properly, and I will do everything I can to help! If you need anything, just tell me!"
Even though she hadn't celebrated her own birthday properly, she could at least make an effort for Miss Tiran's birthday. Vivian seemed a little intimidated by the sudden burst of Aya's determination, but after staring at Aya in silence for two seconds, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmph, very determined, little Aya. Now I understand why my daughter likes you so much. You do look quite dashing when serious."
"Umm, really?" Being praised out of the blue, Aya felt a mix of joy and confusion. Did she inadvertently increase her likability?
"Yes, if you weren't in maid attire it would be even better."
"Please stop teasing me, Princess Vivian..."
"I'm not teasing, actually I'm quite satisfied with your work as a maid. From what I've seen these days, Mimi has also taught you a lot."
"So, about the evaluation?" Aya looked at Vivian expectantly.
"So far, very satisfied~" With a sigh of relief, Aya sat back down.
In fact, the tension that had been maintained since leaving the castle had eased, and her brain now signaled a need for nutritional replenishment after being on high alert for so long.
With the meat all gone, the nearest source of carbohydrates was naturally the pancakes in front of her. Excluding the taste factor, the nutritional balance of the pancakes, considering the ingredients Vivian added, was actually quite good.
Under the influence of both mental relaxation and the need for nutrients, Aya's sensory perceptions, such as smell and taste, were dulled strategically by the central nervous system.
The end result was that, unconsciously, Aya picked up one of the three pancakes in front of her and took a bite, while her mind was already thinking about what birthday gift to give Miss Tiran.
Chewing.
Chewing.
Although the sensory dulling under brain command had its limits, and with the nutrients replenishing her body and a certain overwhelming taste stimulation, the dulling of the senses started to give way to the body perceiving the true taste of the pancake.
"Ugh!" A strong sense of discomfort emanated from her stomach, akin to the feeling of acid reflux before vomiting, as if her stomach was twisting itself to expel foreign matter.
What is this?
Suddenly, her brain felt heavy, and if not for her strong willpower, Aya almost lost consciousness, nearly hitting her head on the plate in front of her.
"Sorry, Princess Vivian, I'm feeling a bit unwell, I need to use the restroom!" Aya, feeling dizzy, could barely rise.
