No matter how the Princess requested to eat the other two pieces of cupcake, King Ophire was stern in his rejections.

"No means no!" He chided her when she kept repeating her desire to eat them.

Pouting at her father, she puffed up her cheeks and accepted defeat.

"I can have as many as I want on my birthday." She mumbled in defiance to his orders.

King Ophire's ears were sharp enough to hear her scheming mumbles and decided to have a word with the maids watching over her on that day to ensure that she did not overeat.

"These are for your mother and brother. Sharing is a virtue, Felly." He taught her what was right to which she nodded even when she was aggrieved at losing the chance of eating them.

If they were meant for her mother and brother then she would not demand to eat them any further.

King Ophire patted her head for being a caring and obedient child today.

The father and daughter pair then took a walk around the garden in the Rose Palace after the proper meal they had just consumed.

"You liked the desserts?" The father inquired to make small talk with her.

Felicia nodded as she took a long breath in, breathing in the warm afternoon breeze that was surrounding them.

"I had always only heard about them from Glenny and even Rika sometimes so I am glad that I got to taste them for myself." She answered and flashed him her brightest smile.

King Ophire felt a pang in his chest when he heard her words, which reminded him of a conversation he had with someone special recently.

Being the Royal family that ruled over the land, there were great responsibilities over their shoulders.

Responsibilities that would feel like burdens after a certain point of time if there was no chance for them to relax and live their life a little.

His brother was growing older which made him want to explore the world and the people living in it.

His son was studying in an Academy yet had to return every single day as it was difficult to let him stay outside the palace grounds for too long.

His daughter had never once set foot outside the Palace boundary but she would soon have to make friends with the other ladies of the society and venture out of the Palace to socialize.

These were the restrictions and limitations that the Royal family faced but there were also times when they were allowed to live their life.

The children surrounding him were now growing up which meant that they would want to make their own decisions and take their own steps.

He was proud of them for growing up but at the same time, there was a fear rooted in his heart about their safety and well-being.

Their family did not have any side branches and these few were the only blood relatives he had.

One brother and two children.

This made him all the more protective of them which sometimes irked them but how else could he placate his anxious heart from worrying for them.

He also knew that sooner or later, he would have to allow them to lead their own lives which were causing his worries to increase each day.

"Father? What are you thinking?" Felicia's grumbling voice brought him back from his troubled thoughts.

As he could not let her in on the worrisome thoughts in his head, he smiled at her and patted her head.

"I was thinking of the kind of party you would like for your birthday." He diverted her attention without putting in much effort.

Hearing his words, Princess Felicia nodded and began elaborating the various demands that she had for her celebration.

The King did not discourage her by refusing her demands but kept an open ear to her suggestions.

He would repeat these to the Steward and let him handle these things.

While the King and the Princess of the Rosenhyde Kingdom continued walking and talking about the birthday celebration, a little girl was sitting before a grand piano.

__

Yvonne St. Claire, the child who was praised by the King for making the cupcake, was at this moment sitting before the piano.

After her lunch with her family and Marquess Samed, she did not stick around to hear her tutor gossiping like an old woman.

Instead, she decided to make better use of her time by practicing and honing her piano skills.

"Argh! My fingers are cramping!" A loud groan was heard in the vacant room.

Yvonne was the only one inside the room and had no fear of being heard by anyone around her.

She had sent her maid away so that she might take her break and hence she was here alone with no one to disturb her or listen in on what she was doing inside the Piano room.

It had been more than an hour that she had arrived inside this room and she was proud that she had perfected three pieces in such a short amount of time.

"Three down…" She cheered but the excitement in her voice soon faded when she saw the music sheets remaining in the folder that her tutor had left behind.

Governess Lester surely was a hard taskmaster as she had given the child hope of being freed from the classes but on the condition that she had to play each one of them without any mistakes.

"A hundred to go…" She sighed as she estimated the number of pages inside that folder.

It would take her months to finish this but the dream of spending one more hour lazing in her room was giving her the strength to carry on with this difficult endeavor.

"Let's do one more before I head back." She muttered to herself and took a deep breath while stretching her tiny body to relax her sore muscles.

The training with Captain Desmo Reel was only becoming harsh as each day went by which resulted in Yvonne's body remaining sore even after taking a soothing warm bath.

'That is just how life will be until my body adjusts to the training.' She reminded herself of the tough times that were yet to come.

She had to endure this pain and struggle if she wished to continue her classes with the Captain.

This gave her the energy to work harder each day and even now, she sat up with renewed vigor.

Placing the new sheet of music before her, she spent a few seconds going through it to familiarize herself with the kind of music she would be playing next.

After getting a hang of it, she stretched her hands over the ebony and ivory tiles and pressed the first key written on the score.

Soon, slow and melodious music was heard in the silent room making the little girl sway along with the rhythm she played.

This was her first time playing it, hence she took her time to play the piece at her own pace.

'No mistakes!' She celebrated after releasing the last key that she had pressed on.

Her trial run was over which meant that she could begin practicing the piece over and over again until she could play it without taking a peek at the sheet placed before her.

Once again, music was heard in the room which would continue for quite some time.