Josh’s Birthday
Translated by: ME
-Horizontal.jpg)
*****
「I wonder what Josh would like?」
Logan and Alfred were peering through a shop window, deep in consultation.
Next week was Josh’s birthday. The invitations had already been sent to his close classmates, and all that remained was deciding on a gift. They had already received a letter from his cousins in the Kirkland family—with whom they were quite close—saying, 「We’re giving Josh a contraption called a bicycle. Please be careful not to get the same thing.」
A bicycle... a cutting-edge vehicle that was difficult to even get one's hands on. Logan and Alfred were floored by the Kirkland family’s influence; they had heard that not even the princes possessed such a high-end item yet.
The energetic Josh would undoubtedly be thrilled. However, the thought that they had to give him something that topped even that left both Logan and Alfred scratching their heads. Logan let out a groan, his face grim, admitting that this was the most difficult birthday present he had ever had to choose.
Alfred found himself thinking that his mother always came up with such "cool things" for his own birthdays. To make up for what his father wouldn't buy, she gave him daggers and sophisticated stationery. Pocket watches that his peers didn't own yet. Custom-made armor. Each item had earned him praise and envious glares from his friends. Rose clearly had an impeccable sense for choosing gifts.
Compared to her, Logan’s ideas were...
「How about some toy soldiers?」
(Too childish.)
「Then, shall we go with clothes?」
(Too ordinary.)
「What about a full set of encyclopedias?」
(That's in the top three things no one wants; it's like being told to go study.)
Unfortunately, his father lacked that particular skill. Though they rejected every idea, they didn't have any better ones themselves, and the two eventually trudged home late that day.
***
「Goodness! So you came back empty-handed?」
Rose gave a troubled laugh.
Logan scratched his head. 「We just couldn't think of a present that could compete with what his Kirkland cousins are giving...」
「Mother, how do you always choose presents? I've never received anything from you that I didn't want. This is the first birthday we’re celebrating with Josh as a family, so I want to give him something special! Do you have any advice?」 Alfred surrendered and decided to seek his mother’s opinion.
Rose thought for a moment before speaking.
「It’s best to imagine what that person will be enjoying a year from now. For example, I gave Al a dagger last year, didn't I? I imagined a situation where it would be fun for you to go exploring in the forest this year. In the end, it was Logan who took you, but seeing Al depart with that dagger at his side looking so brave and wonderful was lovely!」
Both Logan and Alfred were struck by a revelation. It wasn't about choosing popular items, or preparing a large box from a famous shop, or getting the latest toy. It was about imagining the recipient's future and giving them something that would help them shine.
Hearing that, Alfred fell silent for a while, then informed Rose that he and Logan would be heading out again tomorrow.
***
The day of the birthday arrived.
Alfred used his own allowance to buy fishing gear. Of course, he couldn't afford high-end equipment, but he thought it would be wonderful if he and Josh could go fishing together in the river near the villa. That was why he bought two rods.
The reason he used his own money was the realization that having a shared hobby with Josh would make the future more fun. It didn't matter if they didn't catch many fish. He wanted them to experience the joy of managing their pocket money together to buy reels and bait.
Josh was overjoyed. He beamed, saying he couldn't wait to have more things in common to talk about with Alfred.
As for Logan, he had fretted over it the next day as well until he consulted a fellow civil official. 「I have just the thing,」 the colleague said, inviting Logan to his home after work. There, Logan fell in love at first sight with a three-month-old puppy and brought it home.
The long-haired breed was fast, loyal, and could even be taken hunting. Alfred’s hawk and Josh’s dog. Logan felt that by caring for living creatures together, the boys would grow as human beings. While Josh had looked at the hawk with envy, his personality was better suited to a pet like a dog that would stay by his side through joy and sorrow.
The result was Josh absolutely losing his mind with excitement upon seeing the puppy.
「Father!! Thank you!! I have a little brother!!」
「You have to take proper care of him. If you train him, he'll be a great hunter and learn tricks too.」
「Wow! Josh! It looks like he’s going to be a really cool dog!」 Alfred pulled out an encyclopedia of dogs and spread it out for everyone.
It depicted the adult form of the breed—a slender, tall, and graceful hunting dog. With its pale cream-colored coat and straight bridge of the nose, it was quite a sight to behold.
「Thank you! Thank you!」
Josh scooped up the puppy and bolted out into the garden with Alfred.
「Hehe, it seems both presents were a grand success.」 Rose took a plate of cake for herself and accepted a cup of tea from Clara.
Clara was a bright, talkative maid, but she was very attentive; she would likely begin training as a lady’s maid before long.
「Master Alfred’s present really warms the heart. You can see the thoughtfulness—he wants to build a relationship as brothers from here on. Fishing... he truly is a clever one. And you chose a wonderful gift as well, Master. When the bicycle arrived, I thought to myself, 'Well, he's lost this one.'」 Clara, as usual, had to add one word too many.
However, Logan had actually struggled immensely to come up with an idea, so he couldn't talk back to Clara. He gave a wry smile and looked toward Rose. In this "gift battle," Rose had been a consultant for everyone while maintaining a remarkably composed and leisurely air.
Of course, Rose didn't strictly *need* to prepare a separate gift. The puppy Logan found could simply be a gift from both parents. Yet, Rose carried an aura of having already prepared something. Logan was curious and peeked toward Rose’s hands. There, he saw a single envelope with a rose pattern.
「Is that your gift?」 As Logan peered in, Rose quickly tried to hide the letter.
「What is it? Won't you tell me?」
Rose hid the envelope behind her back.
「I think he'll be happy, but I’m still not sure, so I'm debating whether to give it to him.」
「Is it money, by any chance?」
「Logan, sometimes you are surprisingly thick-headed.」
Rose’s gaze turned chilly, so Logan hurriedly waved his hands. 「It was a joke!」
「It's something only I can give, but a slightly more grown-up Josh might not need it... and yet, it's something I want to give. Oh dear, did I give it away?」
He had no idea. Honestly, since Rose had started working, Logan assumed she would give a physical "thing" as a gift. She wasn't struggling for money like before, and she came from a wealthy background. She had an eye for quality; even when it came to food, she would say fastidious things like, 「It has to be olive oil from Macaraia. A milder flavor suits the salad better!」 Logan was the type of person who couldn't tell if he was eating olive oil or seed oil once the meal was served. Thus, he had expected Josh to receive a fountain pen from a famous shop or fine clothes.
While he was tilting his head in confusion, the two boys returned.
「I’m going to think of a name for this dog!」 Josh announced energetically.
「That's right! Let's give him a name. Otherwise, he might get confused.」
The friendly puppy had been darting between the legs of the servants in the garden and running around with the two boys, but when it came time to call him back, he didn't react to their voices at all. No matter how much they shouted, 「Puppy, come back!」 he wouldn't turn around.
When the gardener shouted 「Marco!」 he looked that way, and when a maid called 「Eric~」 he wagged his tail happily. When Alfred tried calling 「Arthur!」 the dog just started scratching behind its ear with its back leg. Finally, when the head maid squeaked a noisy toy, the puppy came charging back to them in an instant.
Josh found everything fun and laughed, 「You like toys, don't you!」 but Alfred was reportedly burning with a sense of duty, saying, 「We have to train him properly.」 Logan clutched his stomach and laughed at the two children.
Then, Josh sidled up to Rose. 「Mother, didn't you prepare a present for me?」
Rose pretended to think for a moment before handing the envelope to Josh. She brought her face close to his and whispered in his ear.
「Thank you!! Really!!??」 Josh’s face erupted into a brilliant smile.
「Yes. My present to you is those tickets. You can use them whenever you like, but shall we keep it a secret from your father?」
「I want to tell Al!」
「That's fine. Then, just tell me when you want to use one.」 As Rose said "Congratulations" and gave him a kiss on the cheek, Josh looked absolutely delighted—perhaps even more so than when he was shown the dog. *Wait a minute, a secret from me? What’s this about bypassing the father?*
Watching them, Logan became intensely, agonizingly curious about what kind of tickets were in that rose-patterned envelope.
***
That night, in the couple's bedroom, Logan finally couldn't take it anymore. He hugged Rose from behind and pleaded.
「Rose!! I'm sorry, but please tell me what was in that rose envelope. I'm so curious I don't think I can sleep.」
Rose burst out laughing. 「It’s nothing major! It's not something you need to worry about.」
「I am worried!! I can't help it. Based on how things went today, I'm the only one being left out!」
(Well, I suppose it might seem that way...) Rose mused.
「Please...」 Logan’s hands gave her a little shake.
Rose finally turned around as if giving up.
「Those were... 'Tickets to have Mother all to yourself—a set of five.'」
「All to yourself?」
「Yes. Josh lost his mother early, didn't he? So he has a lonely side, and I think there are times he holds back from being spoiled by me out of consideration for Alfred. So, I gave him the 'Right to Monopoly.'」
Sleeping together on a night when the thunder is loud, having Rose come to his classroom on visiting day, going out just the two of them, or conversely, just relaxing quietly together inside the house...
(...I'm so jealous...)
Logan was stunned. He imagined his son (Josh) resting his head on Rose’s lap while she cleaned his ears, or burying his face in her soft chest...
「Wait. That might not be okay.」
「What isn't?」
「He's a growing boy, it's probably not good. Those tickets.」
「Josh was happy about it, you know?」
「Of course he was happy! Men have all sorts of... feelings.」
「I don't understand what you mean?」
「You did put proper limits on them, right?」
「Limits? I really don't understand?」
「This is why you let men take advantage of you.」
「The one who took the most advantage was you, wasn't it, Logan?」
Late at night, while Josh and Alfred were fast asleep, exhausted from playing, a male civil official eight years Rose's senior was in the couple's bedroom, letting his libido run wild and relentlessly annoying his wife...
*****
Thank you for reading. If you want to help my hobby please download and install LDP9 with my link down below. Just Click the small yellow LDPlayer Banner.
OR
Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
-Horizontal.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment