I Became the Childhood Friend of the Northern Duchess – Chapter 269

As time goes by, relationships among people inevitably change.

A friend may turn into an enemy one day, and unexpectedly, one might develop a bond with someone else. There are also times when you witness two friends blossoming into a romantic relationship.

However, not all of these relationships visibly transform.

Today, on her fifteenth birthday, Sonia had her fair share of pride in her relationships, but she was blissfully unaware of that fact.

“Happy birthday, Sonia.”

“Thank you, Claire.”

Sonia beamed with joy as she received a bouquet from her friend who came to celebrate her birthday.

Now that she’s turned fifteen, she was at an age where she knew everything she needed to know, yet her untainted, pure smile remained unchanged.

The two were not in the main estate of Robeheim Castle but rather in a separate building next door, known as Billhark Hall, which the Billhark Family inhabited.

Since it was Sonia’s birthday, a small celebration was being held here, and, of course, prominent figures from the Robeheim family, including Sonia’s older brother Edgar and his wife Ariel, were in attendance.

“It’s hard to believe Sonia is already fifteen… Time really flies.”

Edgar smiled, crossing his emotions while observing the two girls exchanging greetings.

It’s quite astonishing. The little girl who used to tug at his trousers, begging to play, had grown up this much.

But this sentiment wasn’t just for Sonia; he felt similarly for his children, Serina and Evan, even though they hadn’t grown up quite as much yet.

“Don’t think like that. Now you’re making me feel old too.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”

Meanwhile, Ariel shot Edgar a look, indicating that his words were bringing a sense of age too close to home.

Edgar hurried to retract his statement, though it was a hopeless endeavor.

“By the way, I wonder if we made the party too modest. Since it’s Sonia’s birthday, we could’ve gone all out.”

At that moment, Yulken, who had been chatting with others, edged closer to voice his opinion.

In fact, there weren’t many people gathered today. It was mainly Sonia’s close friends, Allen and Claire, along with some from Robeheim Castle and Ariel’s acquaintances.

Yulken thought it would have been better for Sonia to receive congratulations from more people on such a significant birthday, yet Sonia thought differently.

“I’m fine with it. Just having my friends and family celebrate is enough for me. I wouldn’t want to put anyone through unnecessary trouble.”

Now that Sonia was no longer a mere child, she understood all too well how cumbersome and demanding organizing a large gathering could be.

Moreover, the people who came together were not there solely to celebrate “Sonia Billhark,” but rather to recognize “the daughter-in-law of the Robeheim family.”

In her youth, she may have thought that an influx of guests would double her joy. However, having her precious ones celebrate her didn’t lessen her happiness at all.

“That makes sense. Honestly, I also felt like having just family and friends celebrating was enough to make me feel like I had the world.”

Yulken nodded in agreement with her earnest opinion.

Somehow, fifteen-year-old Sonia felt far more mature than Edgar, who was already well into his fifties, making it a little awkward.

“Ugh…! Our Sonia has grown up so wonderfully…”

“Hey! There are kids and in-laws here! What are you doing being so embarrassing?”

On the side, Ransel was once again making a scene, but thankfully, Katria was managing to calm things down.

Just then, as Claire stepped forward, followed by Allen, ready to give their gifts, applause erupted from the crowd.

“Happy, birthday, Sonia.”

“Thanks, Allen. But what’s this?”

In contrast to Claire, who gifted precious flowers and a heartfelt letter, Allen came bearing a rather substantial box.

When Sonia shook it to test it out, she heard something rolling around inside.

Considering its size, it didn’t seem to be made of metal, leading her to speculate.

“I thought about what you might like… and this was the first thing that came to mind.”

“Really? Can I open it now?”

“Uh, yeah.”

With a bashful look, Allen scratched his cheek while confirming.

To be honest, he had considered giving something else but felt it might carry too heavy a meaning.

So since it was Sonia’s birthday, he decided to gift her something that would surely bring a smile.

Of course, whether she would be pleased or not entirely depended on Sonia’s taste.

The box was big, and naturally, the ribbon was long, making it a bit of a challenge for Sonia to unwrap it.

Finally, as the red ribbon came undone, the contents hidden inside were revealed.

“What’s that, Evan?”

“I have no idea. It’s my first time seeing it too.”

The item inside was something that even the newer members of the family, Serina and Evan, had never seen before.

It had a peculiar shape, reminiscent of a chessboard, but there were a ton of components included alongside it.

Sonia’s face lit up with excitement as she unwrapped it all.

“Allen! Is this…?”

“Yep. It’s a board game called ‘Change Life’ that was just released a little while ago.”

“Wow!”

With Allen’s confirmation, Sonia raised her hands in sheer joy.

Yes, ‘Change Life.’

It wasn’t your typical board game like chess or Othello. Instead, it was a unique game where each player played a role, and it had caused a sensation since it was released about three months ago.

Since stocks were limited, even the elite offspring of noble families didn’t have many of these.

If you were to ask Sonia what she wanted most recently, this would undoubtedly be the top of her list.

“Hug!”

“Thank you so much! Allen! This is the best gift ever!”

“Uh, uh…?”

Overwhelmed by joy, Sonia embraced Allen enthusiastically, causing his face to flush bright red.

“Pfft…”

Watching this scene from afar, Silvia smirked while smothering her laughter, fully aware of her brother’s feelings.

At that very moment, Sonia likely had no clue how detrimental her actions were to Allen’s health.

“Sonia, what’s that?”

Meanwhile, Claire, who had been examining the gift Allen brought from a distance, cautiously asked.

She was somewhat familiar with chess and Othello, but she’d never heard of a board game quite like this one.

“Don’t you know, Claire? It’s a super popular game right now.”

“No, this is my first time hearing about it. Is it like chess where two people play?”

“Nope. I heard it can accommodate up to five people!”

As Sonia tilted her head, half unsure and half guessing, Allen, whose face had turned crimson, nodded in agreement.

That confirmed her memory.

“It’s a board game. Edgar, have you heard of it?”

“Not at all. Looks like the kids don’t know either.”

Edgar and Ariel, who had been eavesdropping, approached with genuine interest.

Edgar, in particular, found it fascinating because it bore a resemblance to a board game he’d seen in his previous world.

He never imagined such an advanced form of board game would emerge in this world so quickly.

“Ah, these days, there are so many amazing things coming out, aren’t there? Right, dear?”

“Indeed. Just looking at chess gives me a headache… Ah, these young folks are impressive.”

Thus, excluding Silvia, who had helped in procuring the gift, everyone, regardless of age or gender, crowded around to admire the game board.

In a twist of fate, Sonia’s birthday party had turned into a promotional event for a new board game.

Squeak.

“Excuse me. I’ve heard that the meal is being served this way…”

“Oh, thank you! Shefi.”

Just as the atmosphere inside grew lively, the door swung open, and Helene’s maid, Shefi, barged in with other servants in tow.

In their hands, they carried rather large trollies.

On each trolley sat a plethora of silver bowls and white plates brimming with various dishes.

Today was a somewhat modest gathering, but it was indeed a celebration.

Helene and Katria believed it would be best to eat casually together, chatting and laughing, to keep the festivities alive.

“Big sister, can we play together later?”

While everyone’s attention was diverted to the incoming food, Evan approached Sonia, pestering her about wanting to try that board game he had just seen.

Serina echoed his sentiment by nodding along, urging the idea even more powerfully.

“Sure. Claire and Allen will be around until the day after tomorrow, so how about we all gather tomorrow to play?”

Sonia agreed eagerly, nodding her head.

Such games are always more fun when there are more people.

“You relayed that well, didn’t you? Allen.”

Meanwhile, Silvia made her way back to her little brother, who was still slightly dazed from the earlier hug, and embraced him from behind.

Unlike the other boys, Allen didn’t resist Silvia, feeling a tad embarrassed as he averted his eyes.

“Don’t tease me, big sis.”

“What’s wrong with that? It was a compliment.”

One day, Allen had come to ask Silvia for a favor, and she thought something big had happened.

But it turned out to be a request to brainstorm a gift to give Sonia for her birthday.

Since Silvia had long known of Allen’s special feelings for Sonia, she gladly joined in to help him choose a present.

The result was a board game.

At first, Silvia had subtly suggested giving something more romantic and meaningful, like flowers, similar to Claire’s suggestion.

However, Allen expressed that he wanted to give something that would just make Sonia truly happy, which led to this choice.

Initially, she wondered why a board game for a girl, but seeing Sonia’s reaction, it felt like the right decision.

After all, it’s a testament to their friendship that he understands Sonia’s tastes so well.

“Do you think it will be okay? This is a chance, you know?”

“I’m still not sure. But at least I don’t want to be a nuisance today, a joyful day like this.”

“Ha-ha, you’ve grown up, my brother.”

Seeing the determination in Allen’s eyes, Silvia realized he was inching towards solidifying his feelings.

As a sister, all she could do was fervently pray for him, hoping that his feelings would reach her.

And even if that love didn’t come to fruition, she wished it would merely become a cherished memory rather than a trauma for him.