<b>? Preparation (3) ?</b>


    The days passed by in a blur.


    The workload kept increasing, with no respite in sight.


    The Apostles always caused idents everyday.


    And the chaotic outside world.


    For about a month, Vera felt like he was back to his life in the slums due to the pile in his workload.


    He felt like he was burying himself in work and losing sight of what he was living for.


    The same went for today.


    The work he had been doing all morning showed no sign of ending, and even the most pressing matter remained unresolved,, so his mood was at its lowest.


    “So nothing has been found?”


    “Yes, they have searched through from the west, where ysia headed to, to the provinces above and below, to the central Imperial Capital and to the north, but there is no sign of her.”


    “On our end…”


    “No luck, either.”


    In the middle of the office, Vera frowned at Norn’s report.


    “She’s an annoying bitch to the end.”


    It was an insult directed at ysia, who wasn’t even here, but Norn could understand Vera’s reaction.


    It had been a month.


    That was how long it had been since troops from all over the continent as well as from the Holy Kingdom had begun to move and investigate ysia’s whereabouts.


    She couldn’t be found, and in addition to the situation, there was no sign of Gorgan, whom she had woken up, so it would be even stranger not to be frustrated.


    “We’ll find her.”


    In the end, all Norn could do was offer suchfort.


    Vera let out a deep sigh and nodded.


    “Yes, let’s put it aside for now…”


    Vera’s hand was already unfolding the next page of the report since he had a lot of backlog and couldn’t spend much time on one task.


    The pages flipped over with a rustle of paper.


    Soon after, Vera’s movement stopped.


    “…The Saint spent a lot of her budget.”


    Norn flinched.


    H had already told him why Renee had spent so much on the budget.


    Norn felt a cold sweat break out and answered as nonchntly as possible.


    “I heard there’s something she’s been preparingtely. Apparently, it’s for self-development…”


    Self-development.


    Renee’s rtionship with Vera was in essence for her own good, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.


    Having already rationalized that, Norn said so, and Vera, his eyes glued to the report, smiled faintly.


    “I see. I haven’t been paying her much attentiontely, so I didn’t realize.”


    His irritation that had reached its peak was gone.


    Vera was delighted as he realized that self-improvement was indeed a healthy purpose.


    Well, it wasn’t spent on entertainment, nor on bizarre experiments.


    Nor was it money used to indulge in vices.


    It was to improve herself, the face of Elia.


    Vera, blinded with love, thought that no one could be more saintly than her, andughed.


    Norn nodded.


    He was the most quick-witted person in Elia.


    Knowing all too well how to protect himself from this rising tyrant, he simply replied in the affirmative.


    “She’s really admirable. There’s a lot we can learn from her.”


    The pdin seeking retirement could not deny what his superior said.


    ***


    A few dayster, back in the office.


    Vera tapped his index finger on the table, deep in thought.


    It wasn’t for any other reason.


    Renee rejected his invitation the day before.


    That’s what was bothering Vera.


    Was it because he had been too busytely and wasn’t able to visit her often?


    Or had he unknowingly upset her during theirst meeting?


    He spent the night awake, thinking of what had gone wrong, but that didn’t give him any answers.


    It was no wonder.


    Vera’s birthday was just a day away, and Renee was so busy getting ready that she couldn’t pay attention to him.


    Perhaps the saying that love makes a couple alike was true.


    This was a situation that arose because Renee recreated the mistake that Vera had made in Eirene.


    <i> Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.</i>


    The index finger, picking up an increasingly rapid pace, was now imbued with divinity and digging into the table.


    The tap sounds turned into thud, then a tap again.


    Another piece of furniture was about to be destroyed in a fit of an innocent rage.


    Norn was the one who saved the poor table.


    — Sir Vera! The Saint is looking for you!


    His voice came from outside the door.


    Vera jumped at it.


    <i> Bang—Crash!</i>


    The chair tumbled backward, causing its leg to break.


    …Instead of the table, it was the chair that was sacrificed.


    “I’ll be right there!”


    However, Vera, who didn’t care about any of that, shouted uncharacteristically loudly, causing Norn outside the door to tilt his head in confusion.


    “Yes… You may take your time, though…”


    Wondering if anything had happened between them since then, Norn hoped it would end peacefully, and waited for Vera toe out of his office.


    ***


    “Everyone’s ready, right?”


    Renee spoke, fully nervous.


    In the garden, all the Apostles and Vera’s acquaintances in Elia nodded.


    The idea of celebrating Vera’s birthday was met with mixed reactions.


    One of the most unusual reactions came from Vargo.


    Vargo showed that he was not happy that the party was in the garden and spoke.


    “A simple word of congrattions should be enough.”


    He said it as the flowers he had worked so hard to grow were not for Vera, and he was unhappy that the entire garden was decorated as if it were for him.


    The decorations were colored white and gold.


    A long red carpet ran through the garden.


    And on the terrace in the center of the garden was a giant cake.


    All of his hard work had somehow be for Vera, and Vargo got chills from it.


    “He’s getting more than he deserves.”


    Renee replied with a shy smile to Vargo’s words.


    “Still, it’s only once a year… andst time he had it outside, so can’t we do it this one time?”


    Vargo’s beard twitched.


    Vargo, who had always been weak to Renee, couldn’t bring himself toin to the words directed at him, so he finally spoke the words of approval.


    “…Why not.”


    Renee’s face lit up.


    “Thank you!”


    “What are you thanking me for? You did most of the preparations, didn’t you?”


    Vargo thought to himself.


    ‘No matter how I look at it, she’s too good for him.’


    It was true that he was the most reliable among the Apostles.


    Also, he was very capable.


    There was nothingcking in him if he really thought about it, but for some reason, Vargo found Renee too precious for him.


    It was like how a father with a daughter felt.


    A sigh escaped Vargo’s lips at the thought.


    “Oh! He’sing!”


    Trevor, in the form of a child, waved as he ran.


    Then, the eyes of those present turned to the entrance of the garden.


    At the end of their eyes was…


    [He really looks like an idiot.]


    As Annalise had said, Vera was there, stunned and looking like an idiot.


    ***


    At the end of the long red carpet, Vera stared nkly at the people in the distance.


    He was familiar with all of them.


    Each of the people he had gotten to know over the years were smiling at him.


    At that, Vera felt a peculiar emotion stir within him.


    “Vera! Hurry up!”


    Renee beckoned.


    Her gaze was directed in a direction slightly offset from where he was, but he still had the illusion that she was looking at him.


    Perhaps it was because he knew her heart was already heading to him.


    He started walking towards the voice calling for him.


    The voices got louder as he got closer.


    “Man, I never expected to see that look on his face.”


    “Vera, you look very tired.”


    “That’s right. His soul seems to have left his body. A punch is needed in times like…”


    “Darn it, you punk.”


    The person amidst those engaging in their usual banter, was unmistakenably his beloved.


    <b><i> Why are they all here?</i></b>


    His curiosity arose, and it was quickly resolved.


    “Happy birthday.”


    Renee said, her white face turning a shade of red.


    Following her were the voices of others.


    Some of them even pped their hands.


    “Ah…”


    Only now had Vera been reminded of his birthday.


    He had been so busy with work that he had forgotten it.


    Vera suddenly realized why Renee didn’t want to meet him the day before, and he felt a rush of relief.


    A faint smile tugged at Vera’s lips.


    “Thank you. That’s right. Today’s my birthday….”


    <b><i> The day I was born.</i></b>


    Somehow, he felt so awkward about it, so Vera added, feeling restless inside about this feeling that came again after a year.


    “…It’s such a day.”


    “Yes, today’s your birthday! It’s a day for Vera!”


    Renee eximed with enthusiasm.


    Others chimed in with their own congrattions.


    Just as Vera was feeling giddy about it, Vargo spoke up.


    “Have you finished your work?”


    The words were spoken as he sat crookedly in a chair.


    It was said in a bad way, as if he didn’t want to congratte Vera, but still, a smile was on Vargo’s face.


    “…I haven’t finished everything.”


    “Is that so? Then take the day off.”


    “Pardon?”


    “Skipping a day won’t kill you. I’m telling you to get some rest.”


    Although Vargo found Vera rather distasteful at times, he was his only disciple and sessor.


    Vargo wasn’t a heartless person, certainly not to the point of telling such a person to work hard on this kind of day.


    Vera pondered his words for a moment before looking around at those gathered. Then, he answered.


    “Then, just for a day…”


    “Yeah, do that.”


    When the conversation ended, it was Aisha and Jenny grabbed him and led him.


    Finally, where they led Vera to, there was a cake taller than Vargo awaiting at the end.


    Vera smirked.


    ‘So this is where the budget went.’


    While other decorations would have cost no small amount of money, this was probably the one that cost the most.


    A confectionary of this size could only be ordered from the finest bakers in the Imperial Capital.


    “When did you order this?”


    “When you were busy at work. Was it a month ago…? I called the Second Prince and asked him a favor, and he was happy to help.”


    “The Second Prince…”


    “He asked me to pass on his congrattions. Oh, and Count Baishur said he’d like you to greet the Second Prince next time.”


    Did that bother him?


    Vera nodded, feeling a smile tugging at his face.


    “Yes, I’ll try.”


    “Do you like it?”


    “What do you mean?”


    “You know, something expensive and fancy.”


    Reneeughed mischievously.


    Her hand reached out, fumbling around, and wrapped around Vera’s arm.


    She said it with a mischievous grin, as if to say she had already figured him out thoroughly.


    Vera’s gaze shifted back to the cake.


    Then he looked around, then back at Renee.


    <b><i> Do I like it?</i></b>


    She probably meant to ask if he liked the cake, but Vera replied with something else in mind.


    “Yes.”


    He liked it.


    Renee, the people here, and himself being congratted by them.


    He liked everyone who made himugh when he least expected it, and he appreciated it.


    At times like this, he was reminded of something.


    He realized that this was the difference between his now non-existent past self and his present self.


    He was certainly not richer or more powerful than he was then, but this was what made him more satisfied.


    Vera’s smile deepened.


    It also turned soft.


    Gasps of shock erupted all around the garden, but Vera didn’t seem to care.


    “I really like it.”


    Because of them, he had been able to change, and he had been able to learn how to love.


    For all those present, and for all those who had shared their hearts with him, Vera felt the emotion called ‘affection.’