The Abandoned White Magician’s Tea Life

Translator: Sunnyshies

[unedited]

Chapter 82 : Celebrating a Birthday (1)

Eventually Amalia decided to ask Leonardo directly when he returned from shopping.

“Leonardo, I have a question.”

“Yes, yes. Anything you want!”

Sitting across from her in the living room, Leonardo strengthened his back with a somewhat pale face for some reason. She didn’t mean to lecture him, but he was awfully wary of her.

“Isn’t your birthday coming soon? I want to celebrate by making Leonardo’s favorite food, but I don’t really know what you like. I’ll make whatever I can, so why don’t you tell me what you want to eat?”

“…eh? My birthday?”

At first Leonardo was puzzled. However, he soon seemed to be convinced and said, “What? I see what you mean,” he said, looking relieved.

“Come to think of it, that’s right. I completely forgot about it.”

“…on the contrary, I forgot my birthday last year, but Leonardo remembered it well.”

“That’s of course…because it’s the birthday of someone I love. I’ll remember that.”

Leonardo smiled wryly and began to ponder something. He seems to be imagining the menu he would like Amalia to cook for him, mumbling, “I guess it’s meat…but…”

Amalia silently waited for Leonardo’s response, but after quite a while, Leonardo looked up and shrugged.

“…to be honest, I don’t have much food that I like and dislike. Besides, I’m happy with anything Amalia-san makes for me.”

“…thanks. But it doesn’t seem to answer the question then.”

“I know…so here’s my request. Would Amalia-san be willing to cook her favorite dish?”

“Me?”

She pointed to her own face and asked.

‘It’s Leonardo’s birthday, but he wanted me to make my favorite food?’

“Then we wouldn’t be celebrating your birthday…”

“I will be. If you cook that dish, I’ll get what I want most.”

“What you want? What is it?”

“Your smile.”

He said with such a serious face, making Amalia think that she would stop breathing for a moment.

What he wanted for his birthday was to see his girlfriend smiling.

What a killer phrase that is!

Leonardo was probably not trying to be cool or teasing Amalia. In fact, even now, Leonardo’s face was slightly blushing, but his gray eyes were looking straight at her.

“…ah, thank you. Then I’ll make my favorite dish.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it. I’ll adjust my schedule so that I will be back for my birthday, too.”

“You don’t have to overdo it. If you can’t make it, we can move it to another day.”

“…I’ll check. Then I’ll confirm a convenient date for you.”

“Yes, you do that.”

Amalia’s smile was stretched wide.

‘Well then…what shall we make?’

…

Leonardo seemed to have confirmed his work availability at the guild, but as expected, he was not likely to be back on the day of his birthday, given the duration of the next job he was scheduled to take. Since the event might be delayed for a long time, they decided to have the birthday party a few days early, as they did for Amalia’s birthday last year.

“Humans are really strange. Do you celebrate the day you were born every year?”

Yugo looked at Amalia, who was preparing dinner, and asked curiously.

The birthday party is tonight, so Yugo is also picking vegetable seeds for Leonardo. It was dangerous to let him hold the knife, so she let him assist her to practice the detailed work.

“Yes. In the orphanage, we used to celebrate at the beginning of the month with all the children whose birthdays fell in that month, but many families celebrate every year on their family’s birthday.”

“Hmm…sounds nice.”

“…does Yugo have a birthday?”

When asked, Yugo’s shoulders slumped as he awkwardly used a spoon to scoop out the vegetable seeds.

I’m sure there is, but I don’t remember. There is no such concept in the Demon World, and no one cared when I was born or how old I am now.”

“…really.”

“I wish I had a birthday too…oh, yeah. How about I have my birthday the day my mom and I met?”

Yugo turned around with his spoon and looked up at her with his sparkling golden eyes.

The day Amalia met Yugo―― that was also the day she was abandoned by Alphonse.

Perhaps Yuugo noticed it too late, and dropped his gaze awkwardly.

“…oh, I guess we’ll just have to do it another day. It’s not a very happy day for Mom, is it?”

“No, it’s not.”

Indeed, that autumn day is one that Amalia will never forget and one that she remembers with humiliation.

‘But if a day with an infuriating memory can be replaced by a happy day of meeting Yugo…that might be very nice.’

“I was angry that Alphonse abandoned me, but it was also a reminder to myself that I had acted without thinking things through―― and most importantly, I was able to meet my precious son that day. In other words, it was because Alphonse left me that I was able to meet Yugo.”

“Umm…is that how it is? In the first place, if you hadn’t followed that fvcking kid, wouldn’t mom have been able to spend her time peacefully at the orphanage?”

“That may be so, but I think it’s better to take a positive view of ‘I had this thought, too,’ instead of just thinking ‘maybe’…a lot of things happened, but thanks to that day, I am now able to live with the people I love. Wouldn’t it be great if we could celebrate its beginning? ”

It’s not a hasty thought or superlative to comfort Yugo.

From now on, there will be more days when she can celebrate with Leonardo and Yugo. Yugo, who was born in the Demon World, where there is no concept of birthdays, will be able to have a “birthday” just like any other human being. That would be a happy thing for everyone.

Yugo pondered for a moment and then chuckled.

“…I understand. Then let’s make it my birthday in autumn, my mom’s birthday in winter, and Leonardo’s birthday in spring!”

“Well, then let’s go celebrate as much as we can this fall.”

“Yup! It’s better to celebrate something in summer too, since I’m so excited about it. If spring is Leonardo, fall is me, and winter is Mom, then summer is…then at night, I…”

Yugo was mumbling something, but Amalia, who was grinding hard nuts, could not hear him clearly.

Author’s note:

What are you up to, dragon child?

☼☼☼