"I don't remember you asking me to wake you," Ray said.
"I didn't," Rui mumbled.
"Exactly."
"I didn't even notice when you fell asleep," he added.
"But you should have! Because of you, I missed the ceremony!" she protested, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
"Who said it's over?" Ray said, a faint laugh slipping through.
"It isn't?" she sniffed.
"How could it be? It hasn't even started yet," he said gently.
"But it'll begin once we head downstairs," said Grace, standing beside the bed with her arms folded.
Rui slipped off the bed and hurried over, wrapping her in a quick hug. "Sister! How long have you been there? I didn't even notice."
"Long before you two started talking," Grace replied, brushing a hand through Rui's hair.
"The guests have already arrived. We should go now," she added kindly.
They exchanged a glance, a quiet understanding passing between them, before turning to Grace with bright, almost identical smiles.
Grace frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"Close your eyes," they said in unison.
"Why—"
"Just close them!"
"Alright, fine!"
She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes.
Footsteps echoed through the room. Then came the sound of a wardrobe opening, fabric shifting, and something being placed on the table.
Curiosity got the better of her.
She cracked one eye open and stole a quick glance—
"Don't you even try!"
Ray's voice came sharp and immediate.
Grace quickly shut her eye again, pressing her lips together.
A moment later, the sounds stopped. Footsteps returned, closer this time.
Taking her hand, they led her to the bed and gently seated her on it.
"You can open them now!"
Grace opened her eyes.
Set before her were two mysterious shapes, concealed beneath cloth coverings.
For a brief moment, Grace simply stared at them.
"Happy birthday, sister!" Rui and Ray chimed in unison.
Her breath caught.
(...Right. It's my birthday too.)
She blinked.
(I completely forgot.)
A smile tugged at her lips.
"So, what do you have under those?"
"Can I go first?" Rui asked eagerly.
"Sure," Grace replied.
Ray nodded in agreement.
With a flourish, Rui pulled away the cloth.
Beneath it sat a bust of Grace.
It was sculpted from clay, detailed down to the shoulders. The features were delicate, almost lifelike, and resting atop its head was a tiny crown—not sculpted from clay, but a real one.
For a moment, Grace could only stare.
"You made this yourself?" she asked.
Rui nodded proudly.
"Mm-hm!"
Grace smiled, though a flicker of doubt crossed her eyes.
(Did she really make this?)
Her gaze lingered on the bust, taking in the precise details and careful craftsmanship.
(It doesn't look like something Rui would be capable of making...)
Still, she kept the thought to herself.
Grace turned to the second covered object and looked at Ray.
"Are you not going to show yours?"
"Um..." Ray hesitated. "It's also a statue, so I don't think there's much point."
"Oh, come on, Ray! Don't be shy!" Rui cheered.
Ray shot her a sidelong glance.
She only grinned wider.
With a sigh, he reached forward and pulled away the cloth.
Beneath it was another statue of Grace.
This one, however, was... different.
The proportions were slightly uneven, some features a little exaggerated. It was adorned with an abundance of ornaments that didn't quite match, as though the creator had simply added every decoration they could think of.
Grace stared at it for a moment.
She didn't need to ask who had made it.
One look was enough.
A smile tugged at her lips.
.
.
.
{ Near the window, Ray sat at a table, carefully sculpting his statue. Across the room, Rui was busy working on hers.
A soft hum escaped Ray's lips as he shaped the final details.
At last, he finished. Gently, he placed a small crown atop the statue's head and leaned back to admire his handiwork.
A satisfied smile spread across his face.
Rui suddenly appeared behind him.
"Are you done?"
"Yep!" he replied confidently.
"Hmm." She examined it for a moment. "Looks good. But not better than mine."
Ray chuckled. "Oh? And where is yours?"
"There." She pointed proudly toward the opposite corner.
Ray turned to look.
For a moment, he simply stared.
"Y-Yeah..." he said at last. "It... looks great."
"See? Told you." Rui puffed out her chest, wearing a smug grin.
Then, as if proposing the most natural thing in the world, she added,
"Let's exchange them."
Ray blinked.
"What?"
One eyebrow slowly rose.
"I'll give you my great statue, and you'll give me your not-so-great one."
Ray stared at her.
"And why would I—"
He stopped.
Rui was looking up at him with wide, sparkling eyes.
"I..."
The sparkle didn't fade.
"...am not..."
If anything, it grew stronger.
"...giving..."
The eyes practically glittered.
"...you—"
"Ugh! Fine!"
"Yay!" Rui cheered, throwing her arms into the air.
"I'm going outside to play!"
Before Ray could respond, she skipped toward the door.
"What? But—"
The door shut behind her.
Silence settled over the room.
He let out a long sigh.
"...Well, it's too late now."
Ray walked over to the statue Rui had made and stopped in front of it.
"...It's a mess."
He reached out a hand.
"I should probably fix—"
The words died on his lips.
The statue was undeniably rough. The proportions were off, the details uneven, and some parts looked as though they had been redone several times.
Yet that was precisely why he hesitated.
Every flaw told a story.
The surface bore countless marks where the clay had been reshaped, corrected, and reshaped again. Some sections were clumsy, while others showed surprising care and skill.
Ray found himself remembering the past few days.
Rui had spent every spare moment working on it. She had stayed up late, skipped playtime, and stubbornly returned to the statue whenever something didn't look right.
And all the while, she had been comparing herself to him.
Ray knew exactly how that felt.
Being measured against someone who was already good at something could make every mistake seem bigger than it was.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Looks like I'll have to teach you properly," he murmured. "Even if you complain the whole time."
His hand lowered.
He left the statue exactly as it was.
Untouched by him.
Yet touched everywhere by the effort and determination of his little sister.
And somehow, he thought, that made it perfect. }
.
.
.
Grace was praising them for the efforts they put to prepare the gift for her.
Beside her, Rui puffed out her chest, clearly pleased with her work.
Meanwhile, Ray shifted awkwardly in place, the tips of his ears turning red.
He looked as though he wished the floor would swallow him whole. "Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to her."
After it was done, they left the presents to be picked up later by servants, and walked to the door, but as Grace opened it—
"Ahh" she yelped, startled as if she'd seen a ghost. Both children let out short gasps of surprise.
"Welfred! You scared the—" Grace stopped herself, glancing at the kids, then continued, "You scared us! Why were you standing at the door like that?"
"My apologies, Madam," Welfred said quickly. "I didn't mean to startle you. I came to escort you downstairs— everyone in the hall has been asking for you."
"I was about to knock, but you opened the door first."
The man looked to be middle-aged somewhere around his fifties, though his refined attire and neatly swept-back hair made him appear younger, perhaps in his forties. His face was pale, composed, and nearly devoid of expression.
He was wearing a sharply tailored black uniform, regal yet understated, adorned with fine silver chains that caught the light with a faint glimmer. A deep purple sash crossed his chest, fastened neatly at the shoulder where a metallic insignia rested. The coat fell in layered panels, the inner lining revealing the same rich hue as the sash.
A long cape of deep violet draped gracefully from his shoulder, its weight flowing naturally with the rest of his attire. High black boots, polished to a mirror shine, completed the ensemble, their height adding to his composed and elegant appearance.
Every element of his attire seemed chosen with care, balanced between refinement and grace.
"Don't worry, we were already on our way," Grace assured him.
As they strolled down the hallway, Grace looked over with a teasing smile. "So, Welfred... you never really 'move' your face, do you? Is it because you think it'll make you look older— or have you just forgotten how to smile?"
"Madam," Welfred said solemnly, "As I've mentioned before, I am quite aged. My skin has stretched and wrinkled enough as it is. If I start showing expressions, I might end up looking like an old man."
"(But you are an old man)," all three thought at once.
He straightened his posture proudly. "However, madam, I do know how to smile."
With that, he turned toward them and flashed the most awkward, toothy grin imaginable— lips twitching, eyes wide, looking like a haunted portrait trying to be friendly.
Grace froze. The kids blinked.
"Ahaha..." Grace laughed weakly, then whispered under her breath, "Right... maybe don't do that again."
Welfred turned around and resumed his usual blank expression.
The children exhaled in relief, whispering to each other, "That smile's gonna haunt my dreams."