Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 68

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Third Princess truly has a thousand faces. She’d excel at acting.
“Calling it affluence is an overstatement. Compared to my second sister who was executed, I’ve never indulged in luxury.”
“What are your thoughts on the phenomenon where sales of budget luxury brand lines continue to increase even as consumer spending shrinks?”
“Ask the Statistics Bureau about that!”
As Princess Sera gasped for breath as if her trauma had been reopened, Sunbird hurried over with cold water and had her drink it slowly. Being Seian’s sibling, there was a certain satisfaction in teasing her.
But comparing her to someone who sold off a tiara equivalent to national treasure, built a separate palace, filled it with male concubines, got caught, and lost their head—that wouldn’t be fair. That person was a spendthrift who appeared once every hundred years, if at all.
Come to think of it, Sera had not a single sibling with their head on straight. It’s remarkable she grew up so upright.
“Keep growing just as you are.”
“Stop it. I know you’re teasing.”
As I gently stroked the Third Princess’s head, Sera puffed out her cheeks and swatted my hand away. This was truly similar to Seian. Quite endearing, actually.
“Why are you asking about Seian’s birthday? What do you need it for?”
“I want to give him a birthday gift.”
Asking for a birthday is usually because you want to celebrate it, isn’t it? At my perfectly natural answer, the Third Princess and Reina Letem looked bewildered as if they’d never considered such a notion. Only Sunbird seemed to understand my intention purely.
“That’s a wonderful idea. Since he’s a club member too, why don’t we hold a small celebration party here, Your Highness?”
“That, that’s a great idea!”
“Ah…, right. You should celebrate birthdays. I knew that! Yes yes, we should have a celebration party, a party!”
You two were completely unfamiliar with the connection between birthdays and celebrations just moments ago.
But the shamelessly brazen pair began enjoying the birthday party event. They said this was their first birthday that wasn’t a political maneuver or a means to expand connections, and they asked Sunbird what people normally did for birthdays.
I suppose that’s how typical royalty and nobility are. I didn’t know because my father said that if he invited outsiders, there would be casualties, so we decided to celebrate only as a family.
My father was like that, and my younger sibling whose name I can’t remember was like that too. I never felt resentment that they celebrated my birthday so desperately. Looking back, I think Mitchell’s side of me was quite loved. Though I nearly died several times at Mother’s hands and was beaten by Father many times.
“As club president, I hereby declare! Our club, which exists to figure out what to do, shall henceforth hold a party on each member’s birthday!”
“Ooh!”
“Yay.”
Reina Letem cheered and Sunbird applauded. Following the Third Princess’s instruction to mark the calendar, we all wrote down our names and birthdays.
“….”
“….”
“….”
“….”
I can feel the author’s conspiracy in not wanting to create birthdays and just slapping down random dates.
“This happens sometimes.”
“Quite remarkable.”
“Are you all conspiring to tease me? Is this real? Swear on your biochip it’s real?”
Sera’s birthday was March 3rd, Sunbird’s was April 4th, Reina Letem’s was May 5th, and Evan Laef’s was July 7th. At this rate, Kanna would be June 6th, Eugene would be August 8th, and Seian would be September 9th.
Everyone’s expression grew serious with the same thought, when suddenly the club room door opened and we all turned our heads simultaneously. Eugene Brandenburg, who had casually stopped by the club room after the break ended, hiccupped in surprise.
“Hic.”
“Eugene Brandenburg! Welcome!”
“Hey, Northern Grand Duke, what’s your birthday month and day!”
“I apologize for the surprise, but I’m genuinely curious myself.”
“Hic, you mean my birthday?”
Eugene, who had been bewildered, asked Sunbird for a cup of black tea and slowly opened his mouth.
“August 13th.”
“So there was no conspiracy after all.”
“Phew.”
“We have two members with birthdays during the break. What should we do about this?”
Sunbird explained the situation to Eugene, who was still confused, while the other members shared their thoughts. As someone whose birthday also fell during the break, I offered my own suggestion.
“Let’s put off celebrating the break group until next year. We can gather at the end of the semester to celebrate, or those with the means could invite everyone to their homes—what do you think?”
“That’s brilliant! I’ve been wanting to visit the Brandenburg Territory anyway!”
“Ilam too! I’m going to Evan’s place! That girl Kanna wouldn’t stop bragging about it!”
When Ilam was mentioned, Princess Sera’s expression soured again, but I signaled her to stay quiet and asked Eugene for his thoughts.
“I’m fine with it. As long as everyone doesn’t mind risking their lives.”
Eugene smiled brightly, and a chill ran down my spine. He meant every word of that. There was no threat or rejection in it—he genuinely meant that as long as they didn’t mind the danger to their lives, they were welcome to visit his home.
“Is the situation in Brandenburg really that dangerous?”
“I’m afraid so. Just a few days ago, I was fighting a dragon at the City Walls.”
“Oh, oh…”
The Princess, after a moment of deliberation, cheerfully answered that she would visit with reinforcements if invited.
It was the Royal Family’s duty to maintain the Empire’s frontlines… I just hoped no scandal would erupt about the Third Princess raising troops to secure Brandenburg’s support. When I glanced at Sunbird with that thought, I could see the man already wearing a pained expression, clutching his stomach as if it ached.
Hang in there, Sunbird. Being entangled with the Third Princess is your fate—what can you do about it?
“Then what about Seian’s birthday? We can’t exactly ask him directly.”
“Either Her Highness overstepped her authority, or I’ll use my own funds to bribe the student affairs office.”
“I’d rather not get involved in Academy internal affairs.”
“So it comes down to money in the end.”
Well, with the club members’ help, Seian’s birthday problem should be resolved. Now I just need to buy a gift. There was something I’d wanted to give him for a while, but it seemed impossible with my current funds, so I’d have to ask around… but that could wait.
“I’ll be going now. Let me know once you find out his birthday.”
I’d rather not deal with Reina, so I hoped the Princess or Eugene would tell me instead. I added that note and left the Club Room. Since the course adjustment period had a lighter schedule, it was better to move now if I had errands to run.

◇ ◆ ◇

After spending several days going back and forth between the Market and the Academy, inquiring whether there were any secondhand items available, I found something worthwhile. The Spice Shop owner’s son had gotten married and moved to a distant region, leaving behind an unused piano at his family home. Since it was located in a room at the far end of the third floor, transportation proved difficult, and even the movers were reluctant to take it.
While a piano was certainly a luxury item, its age made it not worth the effort to move. The owner offered to let me have it for just over a million crowns if I took care of the transportation myself, so I gratefully accepted.
With this matter settled, I asked the Cafeteria Director to lend me a hand cart for the day. It happened that Seian’s birthday was September 9th, and if I went this weekend, the timing would work out perfectly. As an aside, I was amazed at how carelessly the author had set the character’s birthday.
“You crazy bastard, don’t wear that!”
I was sitting calmly at my desk searching for a white envelope when Reina’s pillow came flying at the back of my head. She seemed quite displeased, so I let her hit me and responded without emotion.
“It’s my clothes, so it’s not your place to comment on what I wear.”
“Ugh, my eyes are rotting!”
“Then don’t look. Besides, they won’t rot.”
“You crazy bastard!”
This time an apple that Reina had been eating came flying, so I caught it and crunched through the rest of the fruit myself. Reina cursed again.
“Why are you wearing something like that! You’ve always just slept in underwear-like things!”
“I received it as a gift.”
“From who!”
“Gerth.”
“Gerth, you crazy bastard!”
Even though we’d made a formal introduction last semester, she was being far too casual calling him a crazy bastard. I was about to warn her that Gerth might contact us at any moment, so it would be better not to curse, when White One suddenly trembled and Gerth’s communication began.
“Evan. It’s been a while.”
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
“Why is Reina screaming?”
There were reasons for that, but since it was the kind of story that would only leave us both uncomfortable, I decided to keep my mouth shut.
“Evan. Leri sent a raven….”
White One, sharing vision with Gerth, looked me up and down. And as if representing Gerth’s feelings, opened his eyes wide and puffed out his mouth. It was adorable.
“Why are you only wearing underwear?”
“I’m using it as sleepwear.”
“But that item’s intended purpose is underwear.”
“Gerth. If I wear this underneath, my outer clothes will bulge awkwardly.”
“…I overlooked that.”
White One opened his mouth wide as if he hadn’t thought of it, and it was so adorable that I picked him up and repeatedly tossed and caught him, tossed and caught him.
“Evan. I’m dizzy.”
“Sorry. White One was too cute.”
“Express that directly to White One.”
“You were cute too, Gerth.”
“Thank you. You’re cute too, Evan.”
“I think I’m gonna get a stress disorder from listening to you two talk.”
Reina sounded exactly like Leri, so when I told Gerth that Reina resembled Leri, the man chuckled softly. It must have been an observation he couldn’t help but agree with.
“It’s embarrassing attire to show to anyone other than a roommate.”
“That’s why I don’t go outside the room.”
“I trusted you would do that.”
“I have common sense, after all.”
“Yes. You have common sense and are intelligent, Evan.”
“Do all the people from your Hometown speak just like you?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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