Chapter 630  Birthday Party Invitation

"A party? What do you mean?"

Seira looked at Aldrian in front of her, her brows knitted.

Aldrian smiled and stepped closer.

"In two days, the palace will be holding a birthday party for Alina. Nobles from all over the kingdom will be invited. So, I want you to go with me as my partner. What do you think?"

He wanted to show everyone that Seira was both his partner and his fiancée.

With everyone's acknowledgment, Seira wouldn't have a chance to run away.

In everyone's eyes, she was his fiancée, and that status couldn't be undone unless there was an official annulment from the palace.

Seira scoffed at his words. How could she not know what he meant?

He clearly wanted to take advantage of her by showing her off in front of all the nobles who would be present.

But Seira didn't rush to refuse him. She felt that Aldrian's plan wasn't that simple—no, it must be Melody's plan, or even Gulvar's.

"Before I answer, tell me—what events are planned for the party?"

Aldrian froze. With an awkward smile, he replied, "There will be a dance for the guests, along with a few other events like gift-giving, a speech from my father, and so on. What do you think?"

He looked nervous. He didn't know whether Seira would accept his request.

If she refused, he wouldn't know how else to persuade her or bring her closer to him.

Much to his surprise, Seira suddenly nodded.

"Alright, I'll go. In two days, right?"

Aldrian was taken aback; he hadn't expected her to agree so easily.

"Wait… are you sure? I thought you'd turn me down."

Seira rolled her eyes. How could she refuse the chance to dance with her younger brother?

"Alright, I'll go. In two days, come pick me up at my room."

Although she didn't care about Aldrian's hidden intentions, she couldn't reveal her true reason for accepting his invitation.

"Alright! In two days, I'll be waiting outside your room!" Aldrian beamed with excitement.

…

"Your birthday? When is it?"

"In two days. Do you want to… come?"

Alina glanced at Nolan with a mix of hope and shyness.

Nolan sipped his tea and fell silent for a moment. He hadn't known that Alina's birthday party would be held in two days.

Actually, he wanted to refuse. The thing he disliked most was birthday parties and the like. They were a hassle and exhausting.

However, he remembered that his relationship with Alina had just begun. If he turned her down and hurt her, the three hours he had spent with her would be wasted.

"Alright, I understand. In two days, right? I'll come. Don't worry."

His answer made Alina breathe a sigh of relief. To be honest, she had been afraid Nolan would turn her down.

Aside from being embarrassing, she didn't want their relationship to become strained because of his refusal.

Despite being a guest and staying at the royal palace for the next few days, Nolan had the right to choose whether to attend or not. So, Alina couldn't force him.

Fortunately, he didn't refuse, and that made Alina truly happy.

Nolan naturally sensed her anxiety and gave a small smile.

"By the way, how old will you be turning?"

"Eighteen," Alina replied shyly. "Since I'm turning eighteen, the party will be a bit bigger than usual. I can't wait for it."

She looked excited, her eyes sparkling. For her, entering adulthood meant turning a new page in life.

She couldn't wait to explore things she hadn't been able to do because of her age.

"Eighteen?" Nolan was stunned.

He looked Alina up and down with a surprised expression. She looked mature, especially around her chest and hips.

At first, Nolan thought she was over twenty, but it turned out she was still seventeen.

'Experts never lie—there are women who mature faster than expected,' Nolan murmured in admiration.

"How old are you, Prince Nolan?" Alina's curious voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Me? Nineteen."

"Nineteen? Doesn't that mean we're the same age?" Alina seemed delighted.

"More or less." Nolan didn't deny it and took another sip of his tea.

"So that's how it is…" Alina smiled faintly, and her wariness slowly faded.

She had thought Nolan was much older than her. Age differences sometimes create an invisible distance between two people, so she had been somewhat cautious when speaking with him.

But now that she knew they were the same age, her nervousness faded, and she began to relax.

The two continued chatting casually, occasionally exchanging jokes.

Alina giggled at Nolan's jokes, finding them unique and refreshing. She hadn't expected the prince—known as lazy and useless—to be so funny and adorable.

Without realizing it, her fondness and trust in him had grown significantly.

Unfortunately, their time for casual talk came to an end. A servant approached them and informed her that her noble class was about to begin.

"Hah…" Alina sighed reluctantly and slowly stood up. "I'm sorry, Prince Nolan. I really wanted to talk with you longer, but it seems that's not possible."

In the past, she wouldn't have minded attending the noble class session. But after chatting with Nolan, she felt like she had met someone who shared her fate.

Talking with him felt so pleasant that Alina wanted to continue until late into the night.

But that wish couldn't come true. If she skipped her noble class session, Melody would scold her, and she would face severe punishment later.

"It's okay." Nolan smiled as he slowly stood up. "We still have plenty of time. I'll be there whenever you want."

Alina felt relieved and smiled sweetly.

"Thank you."

She then turned and walked away, leaving Nolan alone.

The smile on Nolan's face vanished, as if it had never been there.

He sat back down and sipped his tea, his expression unreadable.

"A birthday party, huh? I have a feeling it won't be as simple as it seems. Something interesting is bound to happen," Nolan muttered, deep in thought.

Usually, a party was the perfect setting for disaster—whether an attack, a murder, or something else.

Although nothing was certain, Nolan's instincts told him something would happen.

But he didn't really care. After all, his goal was simply to observe while putting together the plan he had prepared.

During that time, he would remain passive and avoid taking any unnecessary action.

Once he finished his tea, he stood up and walked toward his room. But then, the sound of a conversation drifted from behind the trees to his right.

"Have you set the trap?"

"Yes. Everything's in place. I'm sure there will be plenty of casualties at the party… hehehe…"