"Thank you all for attending my birthday party, my friends."
Everyone in the hall immediately turned toward the source of the voice and saw Celine standing on a slightly elevated podium, dressed in a stunning red gown.
Unlike before, this gown exuded elegance and charm, complementing her perfectly.
With her beautiful features, she captivated many noble sons, leaving them mesmerized.
Of course, when compared to Sharon, she still fell several notches short.
A faint smile graced her lips as she gazed at the crowd below.
However, when her eyes landed on Sharon, who stood beside Arthur, a brief flicker of coldness flashed through them—only to disappear an instant later.
Shifting her attention back to the noble sons and daughters, she maintained her smile and said, "Most of you probably know I'm not fond of formalities, so let's move straight to the cake-cutting."
With that, she stepped down from the podium and walked toward the center of the hall.
The noble sons and daughters quickly stepped aside, forming a circle around her.
Cassius approached with a faint smile. As Celine's fiancé, he was naturally her escort—the main figure of the evening.
Shortly after, a servant pushed in a trolley carrying a large, exquisitely crafted white cake.
The moment the cake appeared, everyone's eyes lit up with admiration.
"What a beautiful cake..." one of the noble daughters murmured, her eyes sparkling.
Despite being born into noble families, not all of them received special treatment.
Some were merely pawns for forming alliances, while others held no real status.
In contrast, Celine, as the first daughter of the Duke of Everhart, was exceptionally fortunate—her fate was one that many could only dream of.
Like the others, Sharon couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.
'What a gorgeous cake. How is Celine always this lucky?' She muttered under her breath, her voice tinged with jealousy.
Neither her father nor her siblings had ever remembered her birthday, let alone thrown her a grand celebration with a cake as extravagant as this.
But the envy faded as reality settled in. In the end, as long as someone remembered her birthday and wished her well, that was enough.
Though her voice was barely audible, it still reached Arthur's ears.
Glancing at Sharon's downcast expression, Arthur let out a quiet sigh.
'This girl is truly pitiful,' he whispered to himself.
Having absorbed the knowledge of this world's plot, he naturally knew how miserable Sharon's life was—both now and in the future.
Every year on her birthday, she could only celebrate alone with the real Aron.
So, it was no surprise that she felt envious of Celine, who shone like a star in the night sky.
With a faint smile, Arthur gently grasped her hand and whispered, "Don't worry. When your birthday comes, we'll celebrate together."
Sharon was caught off guard, her pretty face flushing slightly.
She hadn't expected Arthur to hear her—it was embarrassing.
Yet, warmth spread through her heart at his words. Lowering her head slightly, she nodded. "Um… Thank you, Aron."
The cake-cutting ceremony was lively, filled with laughter from Celine, Cassius, and the noble sons and daughters present.
"By the way, the first piece of this birthday cake is for my fiancé, Prince Cassius," Celine announced, cutting a small slice and placing it on a golden plate.
With a gentle and affectionate gesture, she fed Cassius using a spoon.
Many in the hall couldn't hide their envy—especially the noble sons.
They envied Cassius for his status, his striking looks, and his engagement to Celine, who seemed like a divine blessing!
Feeling their jealous gazes, Cassius nearly burst into laughter.
But he maintained his composure, putting on a gentle smile—the perfect image of a noble prince.
"Thank you for your kindness and concern, Celine," he replied warmly.
Under the annoyed gazes of many, he took a bite of the cake, savoring it with a satisfied expression.
*Clap!*
A round of applause echoed through the hall, further brightening the atmosphere.
Afterward, with the help of the servants, Celine began cutting and distributing the cake to the attendees, including Arthur and Sharon.
However, for the two of them, she made a point of delivering it personally.
"I apologize for my earlier behavior, Young Master Avaron. As a gesture of my apology, I'd like to offer you this cake. I hope you can forgive me," she said, handing over a plate of cake with her right hand.
From start to finish, she never once looked at Sharon, as if she didn't exist.
This blatant disregard made Sharon angry and upset, but there was nothing she could do.
Arthur's expression remained unchanged as he listened to Celine's sweet words.
Accepting the cake, he responded calmly, "I accept your apology. However, as far as I know, your mistake wasn't against me but against Princess Sharon. So..."
Gesturing toward Sharon beside him, he smiled faintly and continued, "Don't forget to apologize to her as well."
The warm smile on Celine's lips instantly froze.
"This..." She wanted to argue but couldn't find the right words.
As the Duke's daughter, her pride refused to let her apologize to a mere lowly girl like Sharon.
Doing so would be beneath her—where would her dignity go?
However, the moment her eyes met Arthur's cold, indifferent gaze, a shiver ran through her body, and fear slowly crept into her heart.
Just as Celine teetered on the edge, a soft yet slightly indifferent voice rang out from behind her.
"Young Master Avaron, isn't your behavior a little disrespectful?"
Celine flinched slightly and turned around, only to see Cassius approaching with a faint smile.
Behind him, the noble sons and daughters followed closely, eager to witness the confrontation.
"Oh?" Arthur raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Disrespectful? Would the Second Prince care to explain how I've been disrespectful?"
Cassius stopped beside Celine, crossing his arms over his chest in a posture laced with arrogance.
Casting a disdainful glance at Sharon, he scoffed, "Sharon is just a princess with no real status, while Celine is the daughter of a high-ranking Duke. How can you expect her to apologize to him?"
"On the contrary, she should be the one apologizing!"
With his index finger pointed directly at Sharon, his intent was clear—humiliation.
Sharon's body trembled slightly at his sharp words.
She dared not resist, merely lowering her head as her fingers clutched the hem of Arthur's robe, as though silently pleading for him to stop.
Arthur, however, remained unfazed. To him, the Second Prince was nothing more than a vain man, unworthy of being his opponent.
With a faint smile, Arthur met Cassius' gaze—cold and indifferent—as he said, "You're absolutely right, Second Prince. Princess Sharon is indeed a princess without status."
"But you mustn't forget that she is still your sister and carries the blood of the King. So tell me—how can you defend someone who openly insulted a royal born of your own father's blood? And worse, how can you demand that the victim apologize to the offender?"
He paused for a moment, chuckling softly before continuing in a playful tone, "If word of this reaches the King, how do you think he'll react? Wouldn't your actions be seen as an insult to your own father? Or… could this be a sign of rebellion against him?"
Cassius was stunned. He hadn't expected Arthur to twist his words so effortlessly.
"T-This…" His lips parted slightly as if to argue, but he quickly swallowed his words.
As far-fetched as it seemed, Arthur's reasoning was sound.
Humiliating Sharon within the palace might not have been a big deal, but here—at the Duke of Everhart's mansion—it was a different matter entirely.
No matter how low her status, Sharon was still a member of the royal family, a direct descendant of the King.
Had it not been for Sharon's silence—her unwillingness to report the constant insults she endured from the noble sons and daughters—many of them would have long faced severe punishment for daring to disrespect the royal family.
But now, with Arthur openly bringing the matter to light, there was no escaping the consequences. Whether he liked it or not, word of this would undoubtedly reach the King's ears.
And once that happened, punishment would be inevitable.
Worse, it could cost him his chances of ascending to the throne.
Cassius stole a glance at Arthur, who still wore that faint, unreadable smile.
A chill ran down his spine.
'This guy... is truly dangerous!'