September 4th, 1351 – Cassius’ Third Birthday

  Lana smiles as she thinks about her job. A job that is both easy and well-paid, allowio care for such a well-behaved child like Cassius. Three years have passed since she first set foot in this castle, and not once has she regretted it

  Cassius, now three years old, remains an incredibly obedient and polite child. He never causes trouble or mischief like other children Lana has entered. However, ohing she has noticed is that Cassius is extremely attached to Duchess Celeste. He loves ging to her at every opportunity, ae never seems to have the heart to refuse him

  Just like now, Cassius is tightly hugging the duchess’s leg, his golden eyes looking up at her with eager anticipation

  "Momm... let’s take a walk in the garden together!" Cassius pleads, his voice as clear as silver bells

  Celeste gently strokes his head, her voice carrying a soft yet firm corre

  "It’s Celeste, not Mother"

  She has never allowed Cassius to call her “Mother” Lana noticed this a long time ago but never dared to ask why

  Celeste kneels dowly prying Cassius’s hands away

  "Besides, you have a birthday party to attend tonight. I still o make preparations for the event. Why don’t you go with Lana instead?"

  But Cassius refuses to let go, clutg her even tighter. Lana see Celeste’s patience slowly wearing thin. In the end, the duchess sighs, lifts Cassius into her arms, and pces him in Lana’s embrace

  "Lana, take care of Cassius for me. I o che the preparations"

  "Yes, Yrace" Lana bows respectfully

  Cassius s his arms around her neck, snuggling into her shoulder affeately

  "Nana, let’s go to the garden!"

  Lana chuckles. He easily pronounce her name, yet he insists on calling her "Nana." She finds the niame adorable and has never corrected him

  Carrying Cassius, she walks down the hallway toward the garden. All around them, servants are hurrying bad forth, busy with st-minute preparations for the party. The duchess has decided to invite some nobles, making everything more urgent than ever

  "I heard that your birthday party has bee quite the hot topic among the nobility" Lana remarks, gng at Cassius

  Cassius blinks before breaking into a radiant smile

  "That means I’ll get more presents!"

  Lana ughs, ruffling his hair

  "That’s right, you’ll receive a lot of gifts"

  On his sed birthday, the Duchess had given him a silver bracelet. Although it didn’t appear particurly intricate, Lana was certain it possessed some kind of magical ability. She g his neck, where a neckce with an eye symbol rested. pared to before, she could clearly see that its size had adjusted to fit Cassius perfectly.

  The two of them stepped into the garden behind the castle. This pce was meticulously maintaihe flower bushes were ly trimmed, the pathways were spotless, and the air was filled with a delightful fragra the ter of the garden stood a grand marble fountain, surrounded by rows of roses, vender, and many other vibrant flowers

  La Cassius down, allowing him to explore the vast garden freely. The moment his small feet touched the ground, he eagerly ran toward the flower beds, his golden eyes sparkling as if he had just discovered a hidden treasure

  "Nana, the flowers are so beautiful!" he excimed, croug down aly toug a fully bloomed crimson rose with his tiny fingers

  Lana walked over to Cassius, smiling as she watched him

  "You really love flowers, don’t you?"

  Cassius nodded, his soft bck hair swaying with the movement

  "They’re beautiful. Everyone loves beautiful things" he stated simply, but there was a unique fasation in his eyes that Lana had never seen in any other child before

  She quietly observed Cassius as he moved through the garden, his small hands delicately brushing against the soft petals as if he were treasuring something precious

  They strolled through the vibrant garden at a leisurely patil they came across a row of peonies. However, these flowers were no longer as lively as they once were - the delicate petals had turned yellow, and the stems drooped as if time had draihem of life

  Lana paused, the mencholic sight before her

  "What a shame. These peonies were once so beautiful, but they wither so quickly" she murmured, her voice tinged with regret

  Cassius also stopped, but instead of simply gng at the flowers and moving on like Lana, he slowly stepped forward and k in front of the wilted blooms. Resting his small hands on his knees, he silently observed them for a long moment

  Lana assumed that he must be feeling the same regret as she did, so she gently patted his head

  "Don’t worry, I’ll ask the gardeo take care of them ter"

  With that, she turned away, intending to tiheir walk around the garden. However, just as she took a few steps, Cassius’s clear voice rang out, filled with an unusual excitement

  "Nana, look!"

  Startled, Lana quickly turned back, her gaze immediately nding on Cassius. She froze

  Right before her eyes, the withered peonies were slowly ing back to life. The once-yellowed petals gradually regaiheir vibrant pink hue, their delicate forms filling with renewed energy as if a miracle had just beeowed upon them. In mere moments, the entire flowerbed in front of her had bee fresher and more radiant thahe petals swayily in the sunlight, whispering a silent melody of rebirth

  Cassius looked up at Lana, his small face glowing with an i smile

  "They’re so beautiful"