Another year has passed in my life, so I've turned five in this world.
For some reason, in this world, birthdays are only celebrated every five years and are divided into three parts.
My fifth birthday would be my entry into childhood and things like that. From here on, I would begin receiving an education.
My tenth birthday would be my introduction to this world. It was more important for women because among the nobility, a huge party would be held where the boy or girl would dance with various nobles. It's basically as if the parents were displaying a product, and the buyers are the other noble houses offering their children as future marriage candidates.
And on my fifteenth birthday, I would enter adulthood. I don't know why, but that age seemed pretty young to me to consider someone an adult, but I don't know why.
I haven't been able to delve deeper into the knowledge I have or why I have it, and telling my parents about this wouldn't be the best option considering all the control my father has over me. (Tock tock tock!)
"Young master! You must get ready! Your ceremony is about to begin!" Elina's voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I just clenched my fists in anger.
"...I'm coming!" I declared as I finished tying my shoelaces, something I'd known for years...
I opened the door to find an embarrassed Elina.
"Should we go now?" she murmured, and I nodded.
"Okay," she replied as she walked behind me.
Our relationship is now...complicated, yes.
It all happened three months ago. I had escaped Nero for a few moments while running to my mother's room.
I was fast enough to reach the room without being found.
I quickly slipped inside, but to my surprise, my mother wasn't in the room.
"Haaa...haaaa!...more!" I heard my mother's voice from the bathroom.
She seemed to be moaning in pain, so I didn't think twice before rushing into the bathroom to help her... but what greeted me was something I'd never imagined.
In front of me was my mother, naked in the bathtub, her legs spread, with an expression I can only describe as pleasure. Between her legs was Elina, her face cradled in my mother's crotch.
I couldn't say anything. They both looked at me in shock, but by the time they opened their mouths, I was already gone.
But that still didn't stop me from continuing to visit my mother. However, she was a little more reserved with me because of it, as was Elina.
We both walked through the hallways in silence for ten minutes until we reached two enormous oak doors guarded by the same guards who guard my father.
They opened the door for me, and I could feel Elina pat me on the shoulder before leaving.
The doors opened wide, revealing hundreds of people in fine dresses, middle-aged men and women, and a few boys and girls, each and every one of them staring at me.
I gulped loudly as I began to walk down the aisle the guests had created for me.
After ignoring a few appraising glances, I walked over to my parents. My mother was obviously in a chair with my father by her side, arms crossed.
I could see he wasn't happy at all about my delay, but he didn't say anything.
"I've arrived," I announced.
My mother pulled me into a warm hug, which I reciprocated, and to my surprise, my father did the same, but he whispered in my ear. "You better make good use of what Nero taught you, or there will be consequences," he hissed in my ear as I stood there.
His ice-cold eyes pierced me like knives, then a smile spread across his face as he looked at the guests.
"Thank you all for coming! Let's begin the celebration for my son's birthday!" he declared, slapping me firmly on the back.
The applause from the nobles was immediate, and I could only smile and wave as I looked at them.
Smile and wave, Paul...smile and wave...
What followed after that was a dinner with music where I sat at the head table next to my father while whe ate.
I could notice that my father changed his personality at will while chatting with the local nobles, always with a smile, praising me and giving me some strong or very strong slaps on the back...
Obviously, all of this was done with the simple aim of making me look better than I am, but it benefited me in one way or another.
My mother on the other hand remained silent and with a smile on her face while eating, I could see that she was genuinely happy for me and just being around her was enough for me.
Half an hour later my father forced me to get up from the table.
"Make sure you make friends with noble girls," were the words he whispered in my ear.
The ulterior motives in his order were obvious but I obeyed the order simply to see if I could make friends....
"Oh? You're Lord Paul?" A girl's voice brought me out of my thoughts. She was older than me, probably three or four years older, with wavy blonde hair and a purple dress.
"Yes, that's me," I said with a smile as I gave a noble salute.
"Heh...my name is Valeria Nortwood, I am the daughter of a local noble family, would you do me the honor of dancing with You?" She said with a smile as she extended her hand towards me.
"eeh...yes" I replied as I shook his hand and we walked to the center of the room.
Fortunately, Nero's lessons had helped me learn to dance, so I gave an excellent demonstration, or so I think, judging by Valeria's satisfied face.
"Thank you very much Lord Paul, I see you are as good as the rumors say," she murmured.
"I don't think that's true..." I muttered with a weak smile as I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.
Valeria just smiled again and took my arm, I could feel her small breasts pressing against me which left me momentarily paralyzed.
"I've heard wonders about the grand gardens at Notos Manor..." She murmured faintly in my ear.
I stood paralyzed, not knowing what to do exactly. My gaze turned to my father, who looked me in the eyes and simply nodded expressionlessly.
"Well...th-there are many gardens in the mansion...which one is in your interests?" I asked.
"I would like to visit the gardenia garden...I've heard it's the most beautiful in the mansion," she murmured and I nodded.
"In that case, follow me, I'll take you there," I said as I started walking while she continued to hold on to my arm.
So I left with her from the room where the party was still going on, apparently my birthday was just an excuse to have a party where my father hoped to make connections with some minor nobles.
After walking for ten minutes we reached the first floor of the mansion and after walking through another corridor we reached the garden.
As its name said, it was a garden completely filled with Gardenia flowers, but unlike the other gardens of the mansion, it was the decoration.
An arch of gardenias extended throughout the place along with several animal statues that also served as water fountains and a small kiosk in the center
For my part, I didn't come to this place very often, but I knew that my mother liked it, so sometimes she would come and spend hours reading there.
"Wow... just wow... this place is much more beautiful than I thought" Valeria said with a smile as her grip on my arm tightened.
"Well, it's not for nothing that it's the most beautiful garden in the mansion," I said with a small smile.
But Valeria didn't seem to hear me as we continued walking through the flower arch until I noticed something.
"hmm?..." My gaze quickly stopped at her lower back.
A small stain of dirt extended from her lower back to her right buttock on her purple dress.
I acted on instinct and my hand removed the dirt, moving from her lower back to her buttocks a couple of times until she was completely clean.
But at the same time she immediately stopped walking, remaining completely motionless.
"L-Lord Paul?...y-you just?..."
"Yes, you had some dirt on your dress," I replied.
"eh?..." She muttered without understanding me.
"Yes, your dress got dirty, and it wouldn't be nice for a lady like you to show up at the party with your dress stained, right?" I replied.
Valeria blinked a couple of times as if processing my words but then a smile formed on her face.
"I see...in that case, thank you very much for your concern, Lord Paul," she said, and so we continued walking through the garden.
"No problem, after all it's natural for me as...heir of the Notos...to be kind to my people" I muttered
"Hehe...even being so young you are so kind and considerate" Valeria murmured with a big smile and so we continued walking through the garden until she decided it was time to return.
Still, she held my arm firmly as we walked back to the party.
The hours passed and the guests began to leave until only my parents and I remained.
"Although many people have already told you, congratulations my son," my mother said while hugging me tightly.
Without hesitation I hugged her in the same way until Elina and another Maids escorted her to her room.
They'll probably have sex there...
"Haaa..." It's not like I can do anything after all, I thought as I sighed.
"Paul..." My father's voice brought me out of my thoughts, as I robotically turned to look at him.
"Father..." I murmured.
"I see you escorted one of the daughters from the Northwood house to the Gardenias garden," my father said as he crossed his arms.
"Yes, but I was a gentleman to her and left a good impression on her," I declared.
"Heh..." Suddenly something I never thought I would see happened on my father's face, he laughed.
Although it wasn't a normal laugh, more like a small burst, as if something had seemed even slightly funny, but it happened.
"I believe it, after all she was glued to you like an octopus for almost the entire party, that let me talk to John Northwood and I left good impressions on them" my father said.
And then...
"F-father?!" I squealed in shock at his actions.
He had hugged me, it was a quick hug but it was a hug.
"It seems you have realized what it means to be a true noble, I am proud of you." He declared while I watched him in complete shock.
"I hope that attitude continues from now on, because in a week I will send you to the capital Ars to begin your studies at the Royal Academy, there you can have your education and refine your manners and way of acting."
"..." I just stood there in complete shock as I looked at him.
"The academy," I muttered as I looked at the floor.
"Indeed, all the young nobles of the Asura Kingdom will be there, and you'll be able to make connections that will help you when you inherit the Notos house." My father continued and then crossed his arms.
"Well, I hope this has served as a lesson to you. I'll go to my chambers. You should do the same."
And just like that my father left leaving me alone in the party room.
I looked around at my surroundings, the tables, the chairs, the tablecloths, the food.
Everything had stayed here and everything seemed so vague, so different from me.
I felt completely out of place here and with my father's words I don't know how to feel.
So I just clenched my fists and left the place, walking and walking without stopping until I reached my room where I fell onto the bed with a thud.
It didn't take too long and I fell asleep, thus ending that day.