In early summer, a little girl was celebrating her 12th birthday.
Her name was Dahlia Valeria. She was a sweet girl with red hair and blue eyes.
Her parents, who were successful and wealthy businessmen, always celebrated her birthdays with great fanfare. However, they only invited a few dozen people. It wasn't because they were stingy, but their house simply didn't have enough space for that many people.
Although they had a large yard, they didn't want the party to be too crowded or crowded, so her parents limited the number of people who could be invited.
Those invited felt incredibly fortunate because Dahlia's birthday fell after the end of final exams. So, Dahlia's birthday party served as a kind of release or celebration for them.
They sang the birthday song to Dahlia and congratulated her.
After the candles were blown out, everyone eagerly awaited the cake.
The cake in front of them was plain white with no decorations. But everyone knew that the birthday cake would be anything but ordinary.
As Dahlia cut the cake from top to bottom, the beautiful interior was revealed.
The cake was so large that everyone could share a piece, allowing everyone to see the inside quite clearly.
Inside were layers of milk cream and chocolate, sliced strawberries, and a few other brightly colored cakes, the exact names of which were unknown.
After everyone had been cut, Dahlia took the top cake and cut it into four pieces.
She then gave them to her mother, father, and the servant who had cared for her since birth.
There was still one piece left.
The top cake was special, as it was usually given to those closest to her or special to her. So, all of Dahlia's friends were expecting it.
Dahlia looked at her friends for a moment before taking the last cake and eating it.
Almost everyone was surprised by Dahlia's action, not expecting it to happen.
With an innocent look on her face, Dahlia enjoyed the cake to herself, oblivious to her friends' reactions.
Dahlia would normally give the cake to her closest friend, but that person couldn't come because she'd moved away. So she ate the cake herself, not thinking about the other friends she had.
Her parents could only shake their heads and laugh a little at their daughter's innocence.
One of the servants took over the cake-cutting task and began distributing it to all of Dahlia's friends.
They might not have gotten the top cake, but they were still happy and enjoying the party.
In the spacious courtyard, several tables were set up with snacks. There were also several games set up to liven up the atmosphere. And if that wasn't enough, there was a garden with various flowers and several types of animals.
Everyone was having a great time, including Dahlia. She played with her friends and enjoyed the food served.
"What are you doing?"
Dahlia approached a boy who wasn't playing, just sitting there, occasionally taking a bite of food.
"No, nothing. I'm just... taking a break."
"Okay."
After hearing the child's murmur, Dahlia immediately left. But a few moments later, Dahlia returned with a girl who appeared to have been dragged away.
"Come on."
Dahlia took the boy's hand and led them both away.
It wasn't long before they arrived in front of a pond filled with many large, colorful fish.
"If you stay here, you'll be able to rest and find peace. Bye."
The two children were about to say something, but Dahlia had already run away.
They both glanced at each other awkwardly. They didn't speak, just sitting together, keeping their distance when one of them sat down first.
As Dahlia had said, the place was peaceful and quiet. It was just the two of them there, and they didn't dislike it.
"Hazel, there are two of my friends near the fish pond. Could you bring them some food?"
After returning to the party, Dahlia went straight to her servant, to whom she had given a cake.
"Of course, Miss Dahlia."
Dahlia's parents looked at Dahlia and smiled at each other, figuring out what their daughter had done.
Three hours passed, and the festive party was finally over.
"Okay, kids, the party's over. Get your things and go home," Dahlia's mother said.
"Eh... But we're not done yet."
"Right. We still want to play."
"Auntie, there are still snacks, so let the party last a little longer~."
"No. That's enough. It's getting late, and it'll be bad if you don't go home soon. Should I call your parents one by one?"
"No, no. Okay, we'll go home."
"I don't care about that."
"Ugh... I don't want to get scolded by Mom."
After receiving threats from Dahlia's mother, they had no choice but to go home. The same went for those who weren't afraid of the threats. Since most of the other kids were going home, the party would be less festive, so they were forced to go home too.
*****
Even though the food, like the tableware, tables and chairs, and various games, were being put away, they were starting to pack up.
"What do you think?"
"Hazel said all the food we prepared was almost gone."
"Even though the party starts in the afternoon, don't tell me they skipped lunch to eat everything."
"I won't say 'No.' This isn't the first time Dahlia has invited so many friends to her birthday party, so it's not impossible for them to do so."
"Especially if the food we serve is delicious."
"Well, we're doing this for our daughter. Oh yeah, how about the toys?"
"Bart said there were a few things that were a little damaged. But I think it's still within acceptable limits, so I don't think they'll charge extra for the rental."
"That's good to hear. I was worried because the kids were so wild this time."
"It's graduation season, so it's natural for them to be complacent. Oh yeah, where's Dahlia?"
"She's probably in her room. I'll check."
In one room, there were various toys, as well as other items the kids owned.
Then in the middle of the room, there was a pile of colorful boxes of various sizes and decorations.
"Dahlia?"
"Mom."
"Oh, are you opening the presents your friends gave you?"
"Mmh. There are a lot of them. I've been opening them for a long time, but I'm still not finished."
"Is that so?"
Dahlia's mother sat near her daughter, examining each gift given to Dahlia.
She didn't help, knowing her daughter wouldn't be happy. It wasn't that Dahlia didn't like help, it was just that being the one to open gifts and being the first to see what was inside was what she found most enjoyable.
She loved the feeling of anticipation when opening a gift, and the feeling of surprise when seeing what was inside. That's why she wouldn't let anyone else open them as long as she could do it herself.