All the guests gradually gathered in the main hall as the room lights were slightly dimmed. The classical music that had been filling every corner of the room slowly faded away, replaced by the lively chatter that gradually quieted down.
At the front of the hall, a small yet magnificent stage had been prepared. Standing atop it was a beautiful multi-tiered birthday cake, decorated with elegant gold and white ornaments. The crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling reflected a gentle shimmer across its creamy layers, making it look like a true work of art.
Garin stood right in front of the cake. Her beautiful face was adorned with the same bright smile that had never once faded since earlier. Beside her on the left stood Alena with an equally warm and graceful smile, while on her right stood a middle-aged man with a firm face yet a friendly aura. He was Fikry, Garin's father.
The man stepped slightly forward. The small microphone in his hand immediately drew the attention of every guest. In an instant, the grand hall fell completely silent.
"Good evening," Fikry's steady and authoritative voice echoed throughout the ballroom. "First of all, my family and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of you for taking the time to join us tonight. Your presence is a great honor to our family."
He smiled faintly before glancing toward his daughter. "Tonight is our daughter's birthday celebration."
Feeling that she had been mentioned, Garin immediately gave everyone a small wave, drawing soft laughter from several guests.
Fikry let out a sigh, pretending to wear a troubled expression. "...However, even though she keeps getting older, her level of maturity remains a great mystery that we have yet to solve."
The entire hall instantly erupted with laughter.
"Dad!" Garin protested at once with a pout. "Don't expose your own daughter's embarrassing stories in public."
"My child, accept reality, no matter how painful it may be," Fikry replied without the slightest hint of guilt.
Laughter once again filled the hall at their warm exchange. Even Alena covered her mouth with one hand as she chuckled softly, while Garin could only let out a dramatic sigh.
"Well then," Fikry continued once the atmosphere gradually settled down again. "I hope tonight will be an enjoyable evening for all of us. Please enjoy the food, have pleasant conversations, and may the good relationships we have built over the years continue to grow stronger." He raised his crystal glass high. "Enjoy the evening. And..." His gaze softened once more as he looked at Garin. "Happy birthday, my daughter."
The entire hall immediately thundered with enthusiastic applause. Congratulations echoed throughout the room.
"Happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday!"
And "Wishing you a long life!" could be heard from every direction.
Meanwhile, among the crowd, Sia could only stand quietly beside Lira. Both of her hands were tightly clasped in front of her body as her anxious gaze wandered from one place to another. There were simply too many people, too many influential eyes gathered in one place. She truly still wasn't used to being in such a high-energy environment.
Lira glanced briefly at her friend. "You're still tense."
Sia forced an awkward smile. "...Is it really that obvious?"
"Very," Lira answered flatly without looking away. "Right now, you look exactly like a fawn lost in the middle of a pack of starving lions."
"...That's a terrifying comparison, Lira."
"Take it as a compliment."
"That is definitely not a compliment..." Sia whispered helplessly.
Not long afterward, a servant pushed a small trolley carrying a ceremonial cake knife toward the stage. "Please, Miss Garin."
"Okay!" Garin accepted the knife enthusiastically. She lifted it slightly into the air. "Then... I'll cut the cake now!"
Applause once again echoed throughout the hall in encouragement. Slowly, Garin cut the very first slice of her magnificent birthday cake. She carefully placed the first slice onto a small plate. Without a second thought, she immediately turned toward her mother.
"The very first slice is, of course, for Mom."
Alena smiled gently, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "Oh, you..." she said softly. "Thank you. Happy birthday, sweetheart."
With great care, Garin fed her mother a small bite of the cake. Alena accepted it with a soft laugh. "Well? Is it good?" Garin immediately asked with a proud expression.
"Not bad," Alena teased.
"Hey, what do you mean 'not bad'?"
Alena chuckled at her daughter's pouting face. "Alright, alright. It's absolutely delicious, Garin."
"That's more like it!" Garin replied proudly, causing several guests standing near the stage to laugh once again at their heartwarming interaction.
Then Garin picked up another slice of cake. "This one is especially for Dad."
Fikry gave a small shake of his head while smiling warmly, accepting the bite quietly as a gesture of gratitude.
However, just as Garin was about to return to her original position, Fikry gently patted her shoulder. "My dear."
Garin blinked in confusion. "Hm? What is it, Dad?"
"One more slice," Fikry said calmly before glancing toward a certain spot near the stage. "Give one to Liam as well."
At that very moment, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became a little heavier for those who knew the secret behind their arranged engagement. Yet Garin... somehow still managed to maintain her cheerful smile.
"Yes, Dad," Garin answered in an unbelievably light tone.
She picked up another small plate holding a slice of cake before gracefully making her way toward where Liam was standing. Liam stood there in his neatly tailored black suit. The smile on his handsome face looked utterly perfect, far too perfect. To those who truly knew him, that smile felt disturbingly fake.
Garin stopped right in front of her fiancé. "Enjoy," she said sweetly while offering her brightest smile.
Slowly, Garin raised her hand, bringing the fork carrying the cake closer to Liam's face. Closer... and closer. But just a split second before the fork reached Liam's lips, the cheerful smile on Garin's face vanished completely.
Her gaze instantly turned as cold as ice and as sharp as a blade. Within seconds, she transformed into someone entirely different. In an incredibly low voice that was almost impossible for anyone nearby to hear, Garin whispered, "...What a pity."
A mocking smile appeared at the corner of Garin's lips. "Looks like your Rania didn't come tonight after all."
Thud.
Liam's jaw instantly tightened. His eyes darkened, flashing with restrained anger. "Your mouth is still as noisy as ever," Liam replied through clenched teeth, his voice barely above a hiss.
"It's okay. Just enjoy the cake," Garin answered, displaying the same thin, victorious smile.
Liam narrowed his eyes sharply at the girl before him. Had they not been standing beneath the watchful eyes of dozens of guests, the tension between them might have exploded into a fierce argument.
Yet in less than a heartbeat, like professional actors, they both returned to wearing their sweet smiles and flawless masks as though nothing had happened. Garin fed him the slice of cake, and Liam accepted it with a formal nod. "Thank you," Liam said calmly.
"You're welcome," Garin replied cheerfully.
Applause once again filled the main hall. Everyone smiled with satisfaction, admiring the harmonious image of the young engaged couple. Not a single guest in the room realized the deadly secret conversation that had just taken place between them. Except... Arven, Lira, and Sia.
From afar, Sia slowly lowered her gaze to the cold floor. Her chest suddenly felt unbearably tight, as though the air around her had become thinner. She remembered Garin's honest confession on the balcony earlier. (This engagement is for politics.)
Sia slowly clenched her fists. But... amidst her best friend's suffering, what could someone like her possibly do? She was only Sia, an ordinary girl burdened with trauma and nobody in this magnificent world.
As the night grew later, the grand birthday party finally came to an end. The same luxurious car drove Sia back to her rented house. Upon arriving at the front gate, the chauffeur promptly stepped out and politely opened the passenger door for her.
"We've arrived, Miss Sia," he said kindly.
Sia gave him a small, sincere smile. "Thank you very much, sir."
"You're welcome, Miss. I'm very happy to have brought you home safely tonight."
Sia nodded gently in farewell. "Good night."
"Good night, Miss."
The car slowly turned around and left the yard. Sia stepped into the quiet rented house. The atmosphere was incredibly silent, with only the dim living room light illuminating her path. Could Mom already be asleep? Sia wondered.
After changing her high heels into a pair of comfortable slippers, Sia immediately hurried toward her room.
Click.
The bedroom door closed tightly. Sia leaned her back against it as she let out a long, heavy sigh. "...I'm so tired..." she muttered exhaustedly.
She took a few steps into the dimly lit room. Then, as though it had become a reflex over the past few days, her eyes automatically drifted toward the top of her wardrobe.
Sia froze for a moment. "Huh?"
Up there, a gray-haired man was lying comfortably with his back facing her.
"Asher?" Sia blinked in disbelief. "You're up there?"
The man didn't move or respond at all. "Asher, can you hear me?" Sia called again. "Where have you been? Why did you suddenly disappear?"
Asher stubbornly kept his back turned toward her, pulling his blanket slightly higher. "I don't want to tell you," he answered lazily with an irritated tone.
Sia frowned in confusion. "Why not?"
"Just because."
Sia stared blankly at Asher's back. "Are you seriously giving me that answer?"
"Completely serious."
Sia let out a long sigh, feeling twice as exhausted dealing with this ghost. "You're such an annoying ghost."
Not wanting to continue the ridiculous argument, Sia turned around to take a change of clothes from her wardrobe.
However, just as she stepped closer to it, her sense of smell suddenly caught something unfamiliar. Her footsteps stopped immediately. She slowly sniffed the air around her.
Her frown deepened. "What's that smell?" She sniffed again more carefully, trying to trace its source. "...The smell of soil?"
Sia immediately turned around, staring sharply at Asher, who was still lying on top of the wardrobe. "Asher."
"Hm?"
"Why does it smell like soil around you?"
There was no response from the figure above.
"Asher? Answer me," Sia insisted as she stepped closer to the wardrobe. "Were you rolling around in the dirt or something earlier?"
Hearing the accusation, Asher immediately stirred irritably and pulled the hood of his black hoodie over his entire head and face. "You really are noisy and ask way too many questions."
"Huh? Why am I the one getting blamed?" Sia glared at him in annoyance, refusing to accept it. She pointed a finger at him passionately. "Of course I'm asking! You're staying in someone else's room! This is my room, not your grave! If you're bringing the smell of dirt into my room, then obviously I deserve to know why!"
Asher snorted from beneath his hood, sounding extremely irritated that his peace had been disturbed. "Noisy."
"How am I noisy? I'm just stating facts!"
"Stating facts while being noisy," Asher declared as though it were absolute truth.
Sia was completely speechless at the unbelievable level of stubbornness possessed by the ghost in her room. "Whatever. Do as you like. I'm going to take a shower."
Sia grabbed her towel irritably before stomping out of the room.
Bang!
The bedroom door closed rather forcefully. After several seconds passed and silence once again filled the room, Asher slowly opened one eye beneath his hood. He glanced toward the now-empty doorway before imitating Sia's voice in an exaggerated, mocking tone.
"You're staying in someone else's room... This is my room, not your grave... Hmph! What a noisy human," Asher muttered sarcastically into the empty air.
Although he continued grumbling under his breath, he eventually closed both eyes once more, adjusted himself into a more comfortable position, and slowly tried to return to his rest.
***
The following morning, while the eastern sky was still covered by a blanket of mist and cold morning dew.
An elderly cemetery caretaker slowly walked into the public graveyard. A large straw broom rested casually across his old shoulders. His footsteps were unhurried, while his lips quietly hummed the melody of an old song that only he seemed to understand.
"Hmm... hmm..."
The old man lowered his broom and began sweeping away the fallen dry leaves scattered along the pathway one by one. But after walking only a few meters through the rows of gravestones, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Huh?"
The straw broom in his wrinkled hand nearly slipped from his grasp and fell onto the ground. His aged eyes widened in complete shock at the sight before him.
Right before him, on one of the graves that was usually deserted and barren... was now covered with flowers. Not just one or two stems left behind by a visitor, but dozens, perhaps even hundreds of them.
Pure white carnations bloomed beautifully, covering almost the entire surface of the grave. It looked as though someone had spent the entire night carefully decorating and blanketing the grave with a breathtaking carpet of fresh flowers.
The old caretaker stood there in utter astonishment, unable to hide his shock. "...Am I seeing things?"
He rubbed both of his eyes several times before focusing once again on the mound of earth covered in white flowers.
"...Who... who could have placed this many flowers on a grave that hasn't been visited for such a long time...?" he whispered softly into the misty silence of the morning.