As soon as we entered the kingdom, our carriage headed toward the castle. There was a huge line of carriages waiting to enter the castle, so we had to wait for a while for our turn to come. Anyway, it didn't take that long for our turn to arrive.

The carriages were moving steadily, so before I knew it, we were near the entrance gate. On each side of the gate, there were two guards checking all the people entering and searching their invitations to see if they were real or fake.

When it was our turn, our coachman simply showed our invitation, and after a few seconds of inspection, we were allowed to pass. As we entered the castle grounds, I could notice that the number of guards was much higher than usual. Well, today is someone's royalty's birthday; this is probably normal.

As soon as we reached the carriage area, the door was opened by our coachman, and soon my family and I got out of the carriage and started walking toward the main hall where the party would be taking place.

Walking for a few minutes, we arrived at a place where we were guided by the guards. A huge door was in front of us where there were two guards positioned. As we approached, the door was opened, and soon, we were inside. The view was simply wonderful.

Crystal chandeliers were on the ceiling, fully illuminating the room. There were some tables full of food that I had never seen before on display, and music, not too slow and not too fast, was playing in the background, giving a magical air to the place.

When we entered, there were already a relatively large number of people spread around the hall, talking. Contrary to what I was thinking, it didn't seem that people were particularly interested in us.

As this was a fairly common occurrence in manga and anime, I thought it would be the same here. I really should stop comparing reality with fiction. With a small sigh, my family and I moved to a corner where there were some tables with chairs, and we sat there.

Every now and then, a waiter would come to our table and offer us drinks and food. My father and mother ate elegantly, while my sister and I just focused on the drinks that were served. Being honest, the drinks were quite tasty, although I knew that the palace food was particularly tasty, and it was easily visible that they did their best today for Emi's birthday. While we ate in silence but still in a pleasant atmosphere, a voice caught my attention.

Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"And it's a pleasure to see you again, Ren. I wonder if I may sit with you?"

Said the voice as it approached. As soon as I looked to where the voice was coming from, my eyes met Aria's eyes, who was also looking at me with a smile on her face. Aria was wearing a white dress with an opening in the back, giving her an adult look. Seeing a new face, my parents and my sister looked at Aria with a questioning look. This made me remember that I had not yet introduced Aria to my parents.

"Sure, no problem"

Hearing my words, Aria intensified her smile and sat down in the last available chair. In case you are wondering why the tables only seat five people, actually the reason is quite simple. Apparently, the number of children among noble families is usually three, so the tables are designed that way. In fact, it is quite rare to see a noble couple having more than three children. Putting these thoughts out of my head, I started the introductions.

"Anyway, Mom, Dad, this is Aria"

I said as I gestured to Aria. Hearing my words, my parents also started to introduce themselves to Aria.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Layla"

My mother said.

"Likewise, my name is Bred"

Said my father after I held Anna, who was standing next to me shyly, and introduced her.

"This is my sister, Anna"

I said. Hearing my words, Anna shyly spoke to Aria.

"H-Hello"

Upon hearing everyone's introductions, Aria put a smile on her face and let out a laugh.

"You don't have to be so serious about it; I've known Ren for quite some time, and he is almost like a little brother to me"

She said, smiling. Hearing her words, I raised an eyebrow in doubt.

"That's the first time I've heard that"

I said while looking at Aria with a skeptical expression.

After that, we stayed for a few more minutes talking. Aria updated me on everything she was doing and investing in. Listening to all this, I could only think that Aria was really someone who loved money. Well, I didn't hate this sincere side of her.

In the end, Aria became quite friendly with my parents and Anna, especially when she talked about my achievements as soon as I arrived here in the capital. Aria spoke quite animatedly, as if she were talking about herself, which I found quite amusing.

As this pleasant mood continued, the door was suddenly opened, drawing everyone's attention in the room. One by one, guards holding flags of the Solaris Kingdom formed a relatively short corridor. Then, a man spoke loudly, capturing everyone's attention.

"Now, their majesties Cedric Tulipal Solaris and Anissa Tulipal Solaris, along with their highnesses Albert Tulipal Solaris, Asia Tulipal Solaris, Lucas Tulipal Solaris, and Emi Tulipal Solaris, are entering"

Said the man, bowing slightly and stepping back, standing next to one of the guards. After that, one by one, the royal family started to enter, and my heart stopped when my eyes noticed Emi.