Ten minutes had passed since Cassian arrived in the hall.
By now, his father and the other dukes were also present, mingling with each other.
As he mused over the gathering, a loud announcement echoed through the hall.
"THE ROYAL FAMILY WILL NOW ARRIVE."
The entire hall turned toward the grand doors at the end of the room, the ones through which the king and queen would enter.
Moments later, the doors were swung open by the guards, and three figures walked in.
Leading them was a tall, handsome man with blue hair and vibrant orange eyes.
Raul Lightspire Dane.... the King of the continent Cyndria.
Beside him was a stunning woman with cyan hair and radiant blue eyes.
Aurelia Lightspire Dane... the Queen of Cyndria.
Between them walked a young girl with blue hair and striking blue eyes.
Vivienne Lightspire Dane... the birthday girl.
The king strode forward, and as expected, the hall fell silent.
"I am grateful to everyone who has come here to celebrate my daughter's birthday," Raul's voice boomed, resonating in every corner of the hall.
"Let us now cut the cake and begin the party."
With a single clap of his hands, maids entered from the far end of the hall, pushing a highly decorated table on wheels.
Upon it sat a massive cake, nearly as tall as Vivienne herself.
Vivienne stepped forward, standing in front of the grand cake in the center of the hallway.
Cassian glanced at the cake, a faint smirk crossing his lips. 'strawberry-flavored cake, huh?'
Aurelia moved to stand beside Vivienne, her voice warm and encouraging.
"Make a wish, dear, and blow out the candles."
Vivienne nodded, closing her eyes for a few moments before blowing to extinguish the candles.
Then, with a bright smile, she picked up the knife and sliced the first piece of the cake.
Applause filled the hall, echoing from every corner as everyone clapped to congratulate her on her fifteenth birthday.
Vivienne's smile grew as she looked at the enthusiastic crowd.
The maids quickly wheeled the cake away to slice it into portions for later distribution.
A large table was brought forward, signaling that it was now time for the gift-giving ceremony.
First, it was the turn of the lesser nobles, such as the Barons and Viscounts, to present their gifts to Vivienne.
They offered their congratulations and flattered Vivienne in hopes of earning favor with the royal family.
Then came the turns of Dukes
First came Cassian's father and mother, who approached together to present their gift
A beautiful sleek black sword.
Vivienne's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the elegant weapon, though she quickly masked her excitement to maintain her elegance.
Following them were Felix's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Shadowglen Duchy... Dorian Shadowglen Crane and Nyssa Shadowglen Crane.
Dorian shared Felix's purple hair and cyan eyes, while Nyssa had black hair and black eyes.
Nyssa Shadowglen Crane also the younger sister of Mark Evros Myrr.
They presented Vivienne with a protective artifact as their gift.
After them came Helda's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Dawnthrown Duchy.
Alaric Dawnthrown Voss, Helda's father, had white hair and yellow eyes, while her mother, Callista Dawnthrown Voss, had striking red hair and red eyes.
Their gift to Vivienne was a magical staff crafted from the World Tree of Faerion Continent.
Finally, it was the turn of Theon's parents, the Duke and Duchess of Ironbrook Duchy.
Zoren Ironbrook Gale, Theon's father, had red hair and red eyes and also the younger brother of Callista Dawnthrown Voss.
His wife, Isolde Ironbrook Gale, had blonde hair and golden eyes.
They gifted Vivienne a magnificent blue-colored suit of armor made from dragon scales.
With the noble presentations complete, it was now time for Vivienne's friends to give their gifts... a moment she had been eagerly anticipating.
Theon and the others quickly formed a line.
Elisa was the first to step forward, She took out a giant teddy bear twice the size of Vivienne from her storage ring.
"Hehe, like this," Elisa smirked.
Vivienne, though slightly embarrassed, nodded in acknowledgment.
Next was Felix, who handed her a new-edition watch. He couldn't decide what to gift her, so he went with something practical.
Vivienne smiled and graciously accepted his present.
Then came Helda, who grinned and offered a neatly packed box filled with strawberry-flavored candies.
Vivienne's eyes sparkled with delight as she quickly took the box from Helda's hands.
Afterward, it was Theon's turn. He handed Vivienne an elegant perfume.
Her eyes lit up with amazement as she examined the bottle.
"Thank you, Theon! I didn't have this perfume. Now I can add it to my collection. You're the best, Theon!" Vivienne exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm.
Theon's face turned completely red under her compliments, as he shyly scratched the back of his head.
Finally, it was Cassian's turn. He presented her with a small box, which she opened to reveal a simple pendant.
"Hmm, it's good. Thanks, Cassian," Vivienne said, her tone much less excited compared to how she addressed Theon.
Cassian nodded, noticing the subtle smile playing on Vivienne's lips as she seemed to enjoying this.
The maids then took the gifts away as the party resumed.
The dukes and the king gathered on one side, engaging in conversation.
Moments later, Vivienne approached Cassian and the group.
Turning to Theon, she said, "Theon, you're looking so handsome today, you know."
Theon blushed, scratching his head. "R-really? Thanks for that... You're also looking beautiful."
Vivienne was wearing a blue dress adorned with intricate silver patterns along the hemline, which shimmered faintly in the light.
Then, Vivienne turned to Cassian and remarked in a flat tone, "Cassian, you're also looking good."
Cassian simply nodded. "Thanks."
'Well, now she's showing she has no interest in me, just like in the game,' Cassian thought.