Chapter 75: Ceremony 2
The palace had never looked busier—from the royal family to the lowliest servants, everyone was in motion. They all rushed about, preparing for Raiden’s ceremony that evening.
Raiden, however, was restless. With Leo and Levi absent, he felt strangely bored—an emptiness that had been building for a while. Despite never viewing them as anything beyond useful tools, he was forced to acknowledge that he’d become more reliant on them than he’d ever anticipated.
Raiden wandered through the palace, watching the preparations and giving out strained smiles as he attempted to pass the time until it all ended.
"Eighteen, huh?" Raiden murmured, stepping into the ceremonial hall.
He observed the servants arranging tables, with others bustling up and down the grand staircase that dominated the entrance. Portraits of the kingdom’s golden ages adorned the steps, walls, and floor alike.
Raiden was turning eighteen today, it seemed. He hadn’t known his birthday coincided with the ceremony—he couldn’t recall his last one. This would actually be his first birthday celebration ever.
In his previous life, he’d only tracked years, never months or days. His parents had deemed such celebrations meaningless, convinced he could die at any time.
The realization made him crave Leo and Levi’s presence even more desperately; his mind began spiraling from one thought to the next.
He remained there for several minutes before releasing a heavy sigh and turning away, slipping his hands into his pockets as he walked.
On reflection, he didn’t just accept his parents’ rationale for avoiding birthday celebrations—he believed it had genuinely saved him from unnecessary stress.
The ceremony was burdened enough, and now it coincided with his birthday? Alora really meant to destroy him prematurely through her scheming.