Song I listened to make this: I really want to stay at your house

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Time moved slowly around the two of them. That's how it felt to say the least. Two souls who were never meant to belong to one another, finding comfort where none should have existed.

It took Aric only half a year to earn Seraphina's trust and in that time, Seraphina whose heart was hardened like stone began to beat faster when he was around.

Her heart, once stone, had become flesh again.

"Do you like parties?" Aric asked after a long time hugging each other.

Seraphina didn't let go of the hug and looked up to him,

"I don't mind them but lately... they've brought bad memories and you already know why…"

She didn't elaborate further, but Aric understood that her past experiences with celebrations had been overshadowed by betrayal, manipulation, and heartache.

"Well, if you don't mind, let me change that."

Before she could respond, Aric brought her to the door suddenly, kicking the door open and his arms wide open with an infectious grin spreading across his face.

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" he shouted enthusiastically.

For a split second, Seraphina blinked in confusion, unsure what to expect. Then, as if on cue, everyone flooded into the hall.

"Happy birthday, Lady Seraphina!" they chorused in unison, their voices blending harmoniously.

The space with laughter, cheers, and warm wishes. The entire town poured into the town hall, dressed in their finest attire and brimming with excitement. Evelyn, Penelope, Thorin, Borin, Kayla, Claire, Alden, James, Marguerite, Darius, Lira, Mira, Kim, Alvin, Beth and all the people and kids appeared, each carrying smiles that lit up the room.

Seraphina froze, her sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd in disbelief. Her jaw dropped slightly as she tried to take it all in.

"E...veryone is here."

Turning to Marguerite, James, and Darius, she asked in surprise,

"Marguerite? James? Darius? Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at the estate?"

Marguerite exchanged a quick glance with James and Darius before responding with a smile.

"Lord Vayne invited us to come here." she explained warmly, gesturing toward the bustling crowd around them.

"Plus, everyone is here my lady. All 300 staff members of House Arkwright, along with nearly 1,000 people from Ashwick. It seems no one wanted to miss celebrating your special day. It was quite a challenge but Penelope and Lord Vayne made it happen."

Seraphina's piercing blue eyes widened further as the magnitude of the gathering sank in. For years, her birthdays had been solitary affairs or thinly veiled attempts at grandeur orchestrated by her parents to serve their own purposes.

But this... this was different. This felt genuine. Overwhelmingly so.

As the initial shock began to wear off, Aric retrieved a bottle of champagne from a nearby table, shaking it playfully while grinning mischievously. He held it out toward Seraphina, nodding encouragingly.

"Here!" he said brightly, pressing the bottle into her hands. "Pop it!"

She stared at him incredulously. "What? Pop it?"

"It's a thing on Earth! Trust me, you'll find it entertaining. But you should really hurry up."

He gestured the way to pop the bottle in just a second and while Seraphina was hesitant and confused, she was intrigued. Seraphina gripped the bottle firmly, shook it and twisted the cork loose. With a loud pop, the cork shot upward, sending a spray of bubbly liquid cascading into the air.

Gasps of delight rippled through the crowd as everyone erupted into laughter including Seraphina herself. The unexpected humor of the situation left her giggling softly as she wiped away stray droplets of champagne from her cheeks.

"That was ridiculous and stupid." she muttered under her breath,

"But... It's also kind of fun."

Aric beamed triumphantly, clearly pleased with himself. "Told you it'd be entertaining!"

With the champagne incident setting the tone, the celebration kicked into full swing. Outside, long tables laden with food stretched across the square, offering an array of dishes prepared with care by Mira, Claire, Marguerite and their team.

From savoury hors d'oeuvres to decadent desserts, every item reflected the effort and love poured into making the occasion unforgettable. Aric also made sure to create enough alcohol like tap beer, wine, champagne and whiskey.

Music filled the air as musicians played lively tunes, inviting guests to dance and mingle beneath strings of twinkling lights strung overhead. Apparently, Aric had also given them new instruments like trumpets, drums, harp and piano.

He also taught them how to play songs like 'I gotta feeling', 'Moves like Jagger' and many more. Children ran laughing through the streets, clutching balloons and small gifts distributed by Kim and Linda. Adults raised glasses in toast after toast, their voices mingling with the cheerful hum of conversation.

Aric had left Seraphina to help Thorin with something. She was surrounded by well-wishers eager to express their gratitude and admiration. Though she seemed overwhelmed by the attention, she didn't mind it.

She accepted hugs, listened intently to heartfelt stories, and even allowed herself to laugh freely. After some time, she finally sat down at the biggest table with her name on it.

"I feel so tired, hahhh."

Evelyn sat beside her and offered her a glass of champagne,

"It is your birthday, your grace. I'm sure for one day, you can exert yourself."

Seraphina accepted the champagne and took a sip, "Hmmm, I'm not complaining though..."

Evelyn drank her glass of wine which Seraphina took note of.

"Are you not going to indulge in the drink Aric made?"

"Ah, I actually feel like...I shouldn't drink it."

Seraphina raised her eyebrow, "Why not?"

Evelyn looked at her, "Because, I feel like that drink is for people like you while I'm jus-"

"Nonsense!" She said while gently touching her shoulder, she raised her hand,

"Claire dear!"

Claire immediately turned her head to her and stopped eating,

"Yes, my lady?"

"Bring Evelyn one of those special drinks Aric made, the champagne! Make it two, actually."

Claire nodded quickly, "Right away, my lady!"

Evelyn gave her a look of part disbelief and part embarrassment. "You didn't have to—"

Seraphina waved her hand to dismiss her, "No, no. If I'm going to be merry, I refuse to do it alone. Plus, why should I drink this alone when my best friend won't drink with me?"

Claire came with two glasses of champagne and gave it to Evelyn. She immediately dashed to her seat back to continue eating her food.

Seraphina raised her glass for a toast, "For the best birthday ever."

Evelyn smirked and clinked the glass together, "For the best birthday ever."

They drank and giggled as they talked for half an hour. Seraphina then put her glass down and looked like she was reflecting

"You know, you've been with me since forever. I don't think I have ever been this happy celebrating my birthday."

Evelyn put her glass down as well, "Well, I'm sure maybe you were younger, you had a good birthday."

"Well, yeah, perhaps..." Seraphina said while swirling the last golden drops of champagne in her glass,

"But I don't think I was ever this... celebrated."

Evelyn tilted her head. "Come on, you were born into royalty. Surely there were extravagant birthdays before this?"

Seraphina laughed while hitting her thighs,

"Oh, absolutely. I had my eighteenth birthday in the royal palace, remember? The hall was decked out with imported roses, crystal chandeliers from the Elves, and gifts I couldn't count without losing track. We dined on roast pheasant glazed in honey truffle, wine aged older than some cities and desserts layered so high, I needed a ladder to see the top."

She leaned back and looked up at the sky, a crooked smile on her lips.

"But sitting in a tent that's open air with a music band playing songs I don't fully understand, but the beats are so catchy that it makes me want to dance. The smell of fresh food being cooked right next to us with children running around causing their trouble. People's laughter that doesn't feel staged and genuine conversations being had.

"Nobody here is about business nor seeking my approval or money... People dancing that look off beat but full of heart."

She glanced back at Evelyn with a big smile on her face,

"It feels... nice, you know? I have no idea what that means for my taste now but...I prefer this. More so than anything fancy."

Evelyn exhaled with an amused scoff, sipping her drink before answering.

"It means you've changed your grace."

Seraphina raised an eyebrow but waited for her to continue.

"I mean it. If someone told me five years ago that Lady Seraphina would be giggling in a crowded town square with a glass of champagne in her hand in a tent that doesn't even cover the sun properly, I'd have laughed until I fainted."

Seraphina laughed a little, "And yet, here we are."

"Here we are." as Evelyn leaned back with a content sigh.

"And for what it's worth, I like this version of you."

"You didn't like the old me?"

"I didn't understand the old you." Evelyn corrected.

"But I respected her. I respected her strength and leadership but...I think she was lonely."

There was a long pause between them. Seraphina nodded faintly and closed her eyes,

"She was."

***************************************************

Aric stood up on the raised stone step, casually dusting off crumbs from this shirt. He clapped his hands twice, loud and sharp.

"Alright, alright! Eyes on me, people!" Aric called, projecting his voice above the laughter and clinking dishes.

"Today is my wife's birthday."

The music faded, and the crowd turned their attention toward him, curiosity rippling through the gathering. Even the children paused mid-chase, clutching their balloons and staring up at Aric with wide-eyed anticipation.

"My dear wife," Aric continued, bowing dramatically in her direction, "please join me here for your grand cake-cutting ceremony!"

Seraphina was momentarily startled as cutting cakes wasn't exactly a tradition she was familiar with. Her past birthdays had involved far more formalities but judging by the excitement on everyone's faces, it seemed to be a big deal. Rising gracefully from her seat, she smoothed out her silver gown and made her way to the stage.

Once they were both on the stage, Aric gestured toward the towering chocolate mousse cake stationed nearby with a candle lit up.

"And before we begin," Aric added, raising his voice slightly, "we're going to sing the song okay. I know I only taught some of you how to sing but, I hope you all practiced enough."

He cleared his throat theatrically, then began singing in a clear, cheerful voice:

"Happy birthday to you~

Happy birthday to you~"

At first, only a few were singing at the right tempo as most of the people were unsure of the unfamiliar melody. But as Aric repeated the lines slowly, encouraging them to join in, their voices gradually rose in unison. Soon, the entire square was filled with the sound of hundreds of people singing—some off-key, others enthusiastically belting out the tune, but all united in celebration.

"Happy birthday, dear Seraphina~

Happy birthday to you~! Wooo!"

Seraphina was utterly overwhelmed. Her heart swelled with emotion as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. No one had ever sung to her like this and the simplicity of the gesture struck her deeply.

Aric gestured dramatically, "Please, make a wish, blow the candle and cut the cake."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift.

What should I wish for? Power? Wealth? Revenge against those who wronged me?None of these desires felt right anymore.

Hmm, I guess. I want my people to continue to thrive and prosper. I also would like for me to have a long life and for Aric to...

Opening her eyes, she blew out the candle in one steady breath, eliciting cheers and applause from the crowd. Someone nearby shouted,

"Did she get it? Did the wish come true?"

Aric chuckled, "I'm sure it will."

Seraphina rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. She took the knife on the table and carefully sliced through the first layer of the cake. The rich chocolate mousse gave way effortlessly, revealing layers of creamy filling and delicate sponge. The crowd erupted into applause once more.

Aric now inched closer to Seraphina and whispered to her,

"Cut a slice and give it to someone. Usually, you give it to people you care about, or love or both."

Seraphina obliged and cut a slice and placed it on a plate. She handed the first slice to Aric.

"Here."

Aric was stunned as he looked down at the plate in his hands.

"Me?"

Seraphina nodded. "Yes, you."

Aric was blushing now and tried to hide it, but failed. "T-t-thank you!"

The crowd whistled and was throwing compliments at them,

"They're so cute! Look at them!"

"She gave the first slice to Lord Aric!"

Aric's face was bright red but he cleared his throat loudly as if to deflect,

"Let the feast continue!" Aric declared, stepping aside to allow servers to distribute slices of the cake to everyone present.

Seraphina gave another slice to Evelyn, who blinked in surprise before accepting it with a smile. Then, Seraphina stepped aside and let the butlers and maids take over the cake distribution.

She turned back, only to find Aric still standing center stage, one hand dramatically covering his face like he was hiding from the spotlight… or maybe the embarrassment.

"Heh." Seraphina murmured under her breath with her lips curving upward. "How cute."

I hope today's chapter was great. Thank you for reading Reincarnated into a Failed Marriage.

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