It is not 8 November, however, as Kim Rok Soo officially take Cale Henituse as his name, naturally he must acknowledged the red-head's birthdate as his own.

Which is why, here he is now, dreadfully socializing with some nobles that has good relationships with Henituse Duchy.

And not just them, Deruth and Violan has generously invited The newly crowned Emperor, Roan's brightest Star, Alberu Crossman, and several other royalties. All because they knows that the said people, despite their high statuses,   are actually quite close to their first son.

Witira, Paseton, Litana, Pen, Toonka, Harol, Rex, Jack, Hannah, Clopeh, Valentino...

There are also some red-flame dwarves, bear tribe, dark elves and elves in the mix.

Naturally, the 10 wolf children, his close friends, the tiger tribe and several others that has been seen to be quite close was also invited.

The Henituse couple's goal is to make the atmosphere as comfortable and familiar for their oldest son, hence why only selective nobles are exclusively invited to this odd party.

What they don't know, however, Cale Henituse, the birthday boy, the star of this party, is withering internally as he felt drained with all of these people.

'When will this stop?'

He's not a fan of parties, and normally would not attend such festivities if it's not something urgent or would benefit him greatly.

But as the main focus of the party, he knows for a fact that he couldn't escape the people that keeps on coming to greet and congratulates him.

He only find an excuse to put a pause on the matter when On, his daughter, is about to perform a song for him.

She played wonderfully and Cale cannot hide the proud smile on his face as he clapped for her. He was unaware of it, but his unexpected bright smile as he accepted the silver haired girl's hug brought warmth towards those who witnesses.

"Well, aren't you going to play a song as well, Cale?"

The sudden request made the red-head stares at the golden pairs.

'What?'

He was taken aback.

"You've been practicing a lot lately, isn't that the case then?" Her innocent question made him at loss of words though he snapped himself quickly and was about to say no. He practiced playing piano and sings so that he won't humiliates himself in front of the three children that certainly looking up to him as their guardian.

Yet to his dismay, someone else was faster to speak.

"Hmm? What's this? My dongsaeng knows how to play piano? How come I've never heard of it?"

Alberu, who's no longer used the dye magic as he has been accepted as who he is by the citizens, are smiling that certain smile which, as always, brought chills to Cale’s spine.

"...Your majesty."

"Hyung-nim"

"Hyung-nim" Cale mockingly corrected through his indifferent tone, "though I do own a certain knowledge of how to play, this lacking being is not as talented as my bright daughter over here."

It was his way to tell Alberu to cut it out.

But it was clear that the quarter dark elf enjoyed his misery. He was adamant to hear Cale play a piece with hidden jealousy as he had only ever hear him doing so through a video recorder that Raon had sent him once.

'Lacking he says? He is just as talented if not better than those genius students at the nobles academy!'

"Come on, dongsaeng. Just one song? For your Hyung-nim, the only one in your family who's too busy to listen to your previous plays?"

The corners of Cale’s lips twitched.

"Besides, weren't you staring at the piano even after my dear niece, On, here finished playing? You really looked like you wanted to play as well." Alberu's hands then rested on his shoulders, "No need to be shy now. There's only us here after all"

And that was the last jab.

'I was just staring at the piano??? Why should I play it now? I don't know any classical piece!'

However, Cale was clearly put on a spot...

「Ahahaha! I don't think you can escape this one, Cale!」

「Their eyes are full of expectations...」

The cheapskate and the thief commented one after another as if the red-head himself doesn't know about his own situation.

Without even looking past the Emperor's shoulders, he could feel the interested gazes of others, waiting for his reaction.

'Tch, you know what? Fuck it'

Though Alberu told him to perform, it was never specified what to play right?

'Well then, They don't need to know where this song came from'

As he never really practiced classical pieces of this world, Cale decided that he'd just play something else that he knew of instead.

He was sure that not even Choi Han would know about this song as he's supposedly got sent to this world before this particular song got aired in Earth 1.

'Welp, here goes nothing...'

Collecting confidence as he take the seat of the pianist, he put his glass away. Cale then take a deep breath to relax his muscles before placing his fingers on the keyboards.

A melody soon began to resounded and painted the silence with an image of a sunset...

If I could begin to be
Half of what you think of me
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love

When I see the way you act
Wondering when I'm coming back
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you.

Love like you...

The lyric is embarrassing, but since no one would understand English here than himself and a few of others, Cale thought that it should be fine.

What he didn't know, however, Raon has unintentionally betrayed his silent wish as he thought that he's doing a good deed conveying what ever their human is trying to say with this foreign language.

That black dragon was excited about it although the mood seems to change as the red-head continues to sing.

I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true
'Cause I think you're so good
And I'm nothing like you

Many of the guests was shocked to hear this. They never thought that their hero thought of himself so poorly.

Cale’s family members are especially not pleased to found out about this.

Look at you go
I just adore you
I wish that I knew
What makes you think I'm so special?

Cale had been telling them that he's a trash and that he's not a good person frequently. But they had never treated it as something serious and brushed it aside while assuming that the other was joking around.

'Is that really not the case...?'

The crowd was silent as the atmosphere grew heavier.

But as Cale himself was too busy dealing with his own nervousness, he did not pay the slightest attention to this drastic change as he pushed himself to just continue regardless his voice has improved a lot or not.

If I could begin to do
Something that does right by you
I would do about anything
I would even learn how to love

When I see the way you look
Shaken by how long it took
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you

Love like you...

Cale Henituse is the most compassionate and warm person— no, being, that Choi Han, Alberu, Raon, and those that he's close with, knew.

Even with his indifferent tone and casual remarks, There's hidden warmth that even strangers would be able to feel just by spending a bit of time with the red-head.

Yet this person.

This weak yet strong person is singing his heart out about how he could not love, and seemingly desperate to learn about it.

It doesn't make any sense for most of the audiences. However, those who knows him felt like facepalming right there and then as they could somehow see this as reality.

After all, their young master Cale is someone that has ungodly level of obliviousness, especially when it comes to himself and affections that's aimed at him.

'Does he not see himself as worthy or something...?'

Regardless of his reasoning, Cale is still going at it even as they had tried their best to showers him their loves.

Even though I can't compare
and I'm sorry if I stare
I just want to do everything
Maybe I could learn how to love?

People say this love is wrong
But all I want is to belong
I can say without any doubt
Everyone should learn how to love like... you

Love like you.

Love like you...

He played some more tunes before finishing.

A bitter smile decorates his lips as he inwardly sighed.

'Goddammit that's so hard on my throat. I am not an opera singer for fucks sake. This world really need to invent microphone soon'

After all, loud voice for commanding and singing is something entirely different.

If anything, he was glad that his voice didn't crack during all of that.

Cale blinked as he turned to the side as he finally noticed something.

'why is it so quiet...?'

Even though they wouldn't understand the language he's speaking off, shouldn't they at least clapped rowdily since someone just finished performing?

'...aren't they just plain being rude right now?'

—well, that was supposed to be the case. However, the audiences are currently spellbound since they understand each and every lyrics he's singing, thanks to Raon who has learnt about both Korean and English from Cale and Choi Han before.

That young dragon felt that it'd be a waste if these people couldn't understand the meaning behind the song his father figure was singing just because they don't know English like he does...

So, not anticipating what the lyrics would be, he had used a translating magic on cale and around this hall. So, naturally, everyone in the room understand well on what he just sung out loud with troubled look on his face.

Is this what Cale Henituse feel all this time?

Did he not see himself as a Hero like all of these people do?

Of all people who remember him as The Trash of Henituse County, their young master Silver Shield is the one who couldn't forgive himself the most?

"...Dongsaeng" Alberu was the first to break the silence while Cale himself already stands up and ready to bolt away from this place, Of course after excusing himself towards the newly crowned Emperor, his parents and the guests.

That red-head has subconsciously reached to the black ribbon on his head and put down his hair knowing that his ears would likely turned pink from embarrassment.

'Tch, I know that this would happen'

Though there are not many of them in numbers, Nobles such as these lots wouldn't be satisfied by other than Classical music, right? Excluding Toonka and Harol, there are also these royalties.

In the end, Cale bowed lightly as he picked up the unfinished glass once again before making his way to the terrace albeit earlier than he has planned to avoid all of those burning gazes.

Only later once he reached the secluded place that he let out a quiet sigh.

'What a mess...'

Neither Cale or Kim Rok Soo cared much about what others think of him, but still—

'There goes my popularity in the circles'

With a shrug, that red-head then emptied his glass while thinking what's done is done.

'At least the number of fake shields on the roads would decrease because of this.'

Well, that's certainly something to be celebrated about.

That birthday boy could be seen smiling slimly by those who's been keeping an eye on his expression just before their red-headed ex-commander disappeared into the terrace...

—as the host, Deruth soon controlled the flow of this party back to it's cheerful state while keeping in mind that his son would very likely hate it if things going south because of him.

Well, he was right about that.

The birthday party then restarted again even without the star of the event. Although the music isn't as loud as before since they were thinking of that certain red-head that is very likely to spend some time for himself, the Joyful atmosphere slowly rebuilding as the minute passes.

.

.

.

Or well, that is the case until a loud crash of a broken glass could be heard from the terrace that they've been focusing on.

Worried that something might have happened to their young master, Ron as the closest to the said location slammed the door open only to have his eyes widened in shock as they watched Cale slowly sliding down whilst holding onto his head with black smoke which thick with the scent of death slowly enveloped the red-head...

"CALE-NIM!!!"

Choi Han's voice was the last thing Cale heard before he completely lost his consciousness and arrived in an empty space with nothingness all around.

...One moment ago, his pale face was turning as red as his hair from the embarrassment he's experiencing, and the next thing he knows he got kidnapped by a God.

At this point, it is no longer unluckiness... it is fate.

Cale heaved a deep sigh as he muttered under his breath.

"Goddammit..."