Chapter 9: The Birthday Ball [Part-1]

After a long, exhausting day of babysitting the villainess, Neo was finally taken to his room to get ready. His own makeover was just as important as the grand decoration of the mansion. He was tonight’s star, a literal celebrity that every single noble would mark as their prime target just to capture a sliver of his attention.

Honestly, out of the entire birthday ball, Neo didn’t care about the dancing or the politics. He only cared about one thing: the gift ceremony.

From the anime he had watched, when high nobles attended a birthday ball, they brought incredibly luxurious gifts to represent their family’s wealth and prestige, handing them directly to the birthday boy. He enjoyed that part the most. In his past life, he had never received a single gift, and truthfully, he had never even celebrated his own birthday.

In this new life, his first birthday with his new parents was an unforgettable experience. He still remembered the massive, ridiculous gifts he had gotten from them.

While his mother gave him thousands of toys to play with, his father Cassian practically handed him the deed to a three-story mansion in a famous city. A property that easily cost several millions of gold coins, placed entirely in his name. Then, for his second, third, and fourth birthdays, he received actual Mana crystal mines and ownership of several lucrative businesses. Neo really didn’t know what Cassian was thinking, gifting such insane wealth to a toddler who had only just learned how to walk and talk properly.

But whatever his father was thinking, if Neo compared himself to his past self, he had practically become a billionaire who could casually buy anything on a whim.

It suddenly made so much sense. He finally realized exactly why the original Neo from the anime had become so arrogant and lazy, ultimately getting right in the male lead’s way. If this kind of endless wealth was handed to any normal child, they wouldn’t think there was any reason left to work hard. They could just coast through life in luxury.

Neo didn’t blame his parents for spoiling him; they were just showing their immense love from their own perspective. But Neo made a firm decision right then and there. He was not going to become arrogant and lazy over some gold. Instead, he had to become a son they could truly be proud of, ensuring they would never regret raising him with so much love.

...

"Isn’t it over yet? How long do I have to sit here..."

Neo couldn’t help but grumble as the maids fussed over adjusting his hair and ironing out creases on his fancy clothes. His mother, Sylvia, was already fully dressed in a stunning gown, standing beside him with a proud expression.

’Why is she looking at me like that? It’s not like I actually achieved anything to make her feel that proud. Let’s find out.’

"Mama, why are you looking at me like that?"

Sylvia stepped closer as the maid, finally done adjusting his hair, backed away with a respectful bow. Sylvia gently adjusted his collar, looking at his reflection in the mirror with a warm, loving smile.

"There is every reason for me to feel proud of you. Your very presence is a blessing for us. Do you know? Ever since your grandfather went to heaven, your father never smiled freely. He was always going to war, handling conflicts around the territory, and wearing such a serious face. But after having you, he finally opened up and started smiling again. Even I, who always felt tense under the burden of my work, feel so happy just holding you in my arms."

She bent down, hugging him from behind, and kissed his soft cheek while looking at their reflection in the mirror.

"I love you, my little Neo. You don’t have to worry about anything in this world. Mama will always be there to protect you."

Neo looked at their reflection and couldn’t help but feel a sudden stir in his heart. It was the very first time in both of his lives that someone had shown him such pure love—not because he was returning a favor, but just for his mere existence.

A single tear slipped from his eye, he didn’t even lift his little hand to wipe it away.

Sylvia noticed, pulling back slightly to gently wipe the tear from his cheek.

"Don’t be sappy, Neo. You should be happy. It’s your big birthday tonight, and you get to enjoy so much delicious food and make lots of new friends."

Neo nodded involuntarily while standing up from his seat, adjusting his dress clothes one last time.

’Friends? What a pain. I have to meet all those snobby noble kids and pretend to be a clueless toddler again. Damn, I really hate children!’

Sylvia held his small hand and started leading him out of the room, walking down the grand corridors toward the main banquet hall.

The hall was beautifully decorated with ice as the main theme of the ball. Everything glittered with intricate crystal ice sculptures. The temperature around the hall was kept perfectly comfortable by artifacts so the ice wouldn’t melt, and since most of the guests were wearing thick suits and gowns, there was no problem with anyone feeling cold. Even if they did, the nobles could easily maintain their body heat by channeling their mana internally.

But for a child like Neo, he was forced to wear a heavy, layered outfit that felt like it weighed half his body weight, restricting his movements as Sylvia led him forward.

As they entered the main corridor, he could hear the loud, buzzing crowd of nobles gathered in the hallway. His grip unconsciously tightened around his mother’s hand. He felt a slight wave of nervousness wash over him. It wasn’t because he was afraid of the crowds or the nobles themselves, but he was seriously worried about one specific group.

The Royal Family.

Unlike any other duke family, the Draven family possessed one of the strongest military forces, second only to the Royal Knights. From generation to generation, the Draven family remained the only house that never actually bowed its head to the crown. They simply didn’t need to. In every single generation, monstrous geniuses had been born into their family. If his ancestors had ever truly wanted to, they were powerful enough to declare independence and form their own kingdom right then and there.

Due to some unknown reason, they never did. But the Royal Family still constantly suspected that the Draven family might betray them one day.

To stop that from happening, the royals would definitely try to execute some sneaky methods to forcefully bind the future generations to the crown, securing their control over the mighty dukedom. And the absolute easiest way for them to achieve that was to target the one and only heir of the Draven family: Neo.

The Emperor already knew that Cassian and Sylvia loved their son more than anything. If the crown could somehow make Neo theirs, they would practically gain full control over the entire Draven military, swallowing the dukedom whole.

And Neo already knew exactly what method they were going to try.

’It must be the exact same trick they used on the original Neo in the anime. Alas, what cheap noble tricks. Trying to bind children with an arranged marriage just to get control over a territory. Sigh... They still think a wife can take full control over a husband and his life. Well, I am definitely not like my father, so that won’t work on me!’

He paused, shaking his head.

’Wait, what am I even thinking? I have to avoid this political marriage at any cost! I don’t want my family to be placed in any danger, because this time, they are my real family.’