Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I’ll Be A Righteous Villainess! - Chapter 129

Lady stares blankly at the stuffed bear that Weiss and Fallon are proudly holding out to her.

“Thanks, guys…” she said quietly before pouting sadly.

“But what I really want is the pink stuffed dolphin they have.”

Then, silence.

Both of them just look at her. Neither utters a thing for a moment.

“Get in the car, bro. We’re going back to that store,” Fallon muttered simply before storming back outside with a determined expression.

Weiss cried inwardly, “Why me?”

—

Maximilian had seen the whole thing and felt kind of bad for Weiss and Fallon.

He was surprised to learn that they visited at the exact same time he arrived from work. It’s four in the afternoon, which is still hours before his shift normally ends, but because the birthday party would start by six-thirty in the evening, he decided he’d go home early. He would’ve been there before the boys had he not searched every local toy store in that city for the perfect gift –

Which just happened to be the same thing Weiss and Fallon had been looking for. Unlike them, however, Maximilian had managed to get the right one.

“Happy birthday, my daughter.”

At the sight of a certain pink stuffed dolphin, Lady beams a whole lot brighter than the sun. From the doorway of the mansion, all Weiss and Fallon can do is watch in disbelief. Maximilian had walked past them right before they left, which they believed was done on purpose.

“Woah…!” the daughter squealed in pleasant surprise, grinning from ear to ear as she took his birthday present for her and squeezed it in her arms.

“Thankie thankie, Daddy! I’ve been wanting this for some time now!”

“Yeah. I’m aware…” the father told her softly with a warm, kind smile.

“Makes me glad to see that you like it.”

“I love it!”

“That’s great. I also bought other things for you.”

“Really?! This one’s enough, though.”

“It’s your birthday. Of course, I’ll buy you more.”

“Thank you so much, but you really don’t have to.”

“Don’t be silly. Just take them.”

The boys are sulking now.

He didn’t intend to compete with them, though. He didn’t even know they were planning to get her the same gift. Besides, he used to lose to them all the time. He never got to take the spotlight whenever they’re with her.

This time around, Maximilian would make them see that he knows Lady more than they ever do.

“With this, I won’t have to worry about Mr. Teddy feeling lonely anymore…!” she happily chirped as she reached out for the teddy bear and hugged it tightly with the stuffed dolphin.

“He now has Ms. Dolphin with him! They look so adorable together!”

That makes the three of them exchange surprised looks. Then, they smile.

Indeed, this is no competition. After all, they only want one thing in this.

That is, to make Lady happy.

—

Seven years since coming to this world, and Lady feels like everything is just getting started.

It was also her birthday when she woke back up from the dead and found herself living as the antagonist of the story she wrote for fun. Back then, she had no idea at all. She only thought about how she could make use of this second chance to help that one thing that motivated her to keep going. It was the joy of creation that gave her something to look forward to in an otherwise despairing life.

Now, things have changed.

“Happy thirteenth birthday, Lady. Thank you for inviting me.”

Not once in those seven years did she imagine that Sarah, the beloved protagonist of the story, would attend one of her birthdays as a friend rather than a rival. Lady can only stare on for a moment, still taking all of this in.

She looks extraordinarily breathtaking in her white halter dress, so she decides she’ll start by complimenting her in exchange for the present she’s given her.

“I’m happy to see you here, Sarah. Thank you for coming…” Lady began with a sunny grin, accepting the neatly wrapped gift box gratefully.

“You look really pretty in that dress! Just like an angel!”

“Oh, come on. You’re much prettier…” Sarah remarked with a light flush, both flattered at the word of praise and endeared by the cute sight that came with it.

“Especially in that outfit of yours. You’re like a princess.”

She admits she does – if only to commend her grandparents for getting the finest pick out there. Penelope was mostly the one who chose the design, and Benedict made sure to hire one of the country’s best tailors for it. In the end, what she gets is this lavish red gown with golden embellishments, and she’s quite elated about it.

It’s not just Penelope and Benedict who deserve recognition, of course. She also said a million thanks to Maximilian and Calixtus for organizing a humble yet enjoyable dinner party inside the mansion. Weiss and Fallon did a great job in preparing a list of surprises for her, too.

Throughout the day, she’s been enjoying herself. It’s because of everyone that she’s having a great time right now. She feels loved, and she feels blessed.

And as if these are still not enough, there are more that have yet to come.

“Happy birthday, darling!” Belle cheered, suddenly hugging Lady from behind.

“That’s like the thousandth time today, Belle. You already said it at school earlier – even broadcasted it all around the campus,” Hartigan deadpanned, emerging from beside Sarah who looked taken aback by the interjection.

“Oh, shush. I’ll do it as many times as I want to.”

“Because of you, we barely had time to hang out together at all. People kept coming to talk with her as soon as they learned it’s her birthday today.”

“You’re just jealous she’s got a lot of admirers.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Speaking of, have you already seen Hartigan’s birthday present, Lady?”

Hartigan tenses as Belle brings up the subject. Lady blinks in confusion.

“I haven’t opened any gifts aside from Father, Weiss, and Fallon yet-”

“Don’t open it!” Hartigan suddenly cut in, baffling Lady even more.

“Hmmm… Now, I’m curious. Maybe I should go and see-”

“Wait until everyone’s gone! It’s okay if you save it for last! Just not now!”

Belle can’t help but cackle, which Hartigan thinks is quite cruel.

She knows what kind of gift he prepared for her, and she knows it took him a lot of courage to choose this one. Apparently, it’s another portrait of Lady – albeit, smaller than the one Hartigan has at home. He can’t find it in himself to see her reaction yet, but unluckily for him, he has a childhood friend who’s too nosey for her own good.

“Let’s go, Belle! I wanna see what it is!” Lady enthused before taking off.

“After you, darling~!” cooed Belle.

“No, wait! Belle! You damn traitor!” Hartigan shrieked, thrown in a panic.

Alas, he lost them.

Sarah can’t help but be amused at how disoriented he looks. Hartigan turns to her with a pouty face.

“Please, don’t laugh at me, Ms. Gracelyn.”

“I’m not. It’s just… You can be quite funny.”

“Why, thanks.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not that bad, Mr. Holbein.”

Despite everything that happened since that staircase incident, the two haven’t gotten close enough to stop being formal towards each other.

It’s such a shame, Sarah thinks. Hartigan is such a great guy –

A tad too great, actually.

The more she knows about him, the more she sees him as one of a kind. He’s a gentleman who has true respect for her – something she can’t get from most people. She also has great respect for him, considering he saved her before. Not to mention, he was just like her before.

He disliked Lady for her guts but eventually became friends with her. Sarah feels like she can understand him as much as he understands her.

“Wanna go after them?” she asked, a bit concerned since he still looked a little bothered.

“It’s probably no use. They’re unstoppable,” he answered with a shrug, too exhausted to keep complaining.

“That’s one of their charms, nonetheless. Do you want to cool off for now, then? I just had a taste of their drinks, and it’s nothing like I’ve ever had before.”

“Really? What it’s called?”

“Not sure what it is. But it’s the red one.”

“I didn’t see any of that color, though?”

Hartigan looks on thoughtfully. Sarah looks back in bafflement.

Then, it clicks.

“Ummm… I think you just drunk wine.”

—

The birthday party is in full swing by eight in the evening.

Everyone is having fun so far. Gifts are opened, mayhems ensued, and smiles are shared – the night is filled with the simplest joys. It turns out alright even though many of their relatives did not attend.

Apart from Calixtus’s side of the family, none of Lady’s uncles have come.

“What were you expecting? You know what their sons did to my daughter,” Maximilian had said to Benedict and Penelope who had brought up the topic.