He faced Margaret, placed his right hand over his chest, and bowed slightly in the standard, respectful manner of a vassal.

"Your Grace."

Margaret inclined her head in return. "Thank you for making time to attend, Count O’Connor."

Murphy then turned his gaze to Eleanor. With both hands, he presented a small yet exquisite, deep blue velvet gift box.

Eleanor’s eyes lit up instantly. She even began to lean forward unconsciously before her mother gently placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Happy birthday, Miss Eleanor." Murphy’s greeting was brief and direct.

Eleanor glanced at her mother, and only after Margaret gave an almost imperceptible nod did she reach out her small hands to accept the box.

The box wasn’t heavy, and it was soft to the touch.

Then, she looked up at Murphy, her voice bright and tinged with unconcealable excitement. "Thank you, Count O’Connor. May I open it now?"

"Of course," Murphy replied, the faintest hint of a smile flashing across his lips for a moment.

Under Margaret’s approving gaze, Eleanor untied the silver ribbon on the gift box and lifted the lid.

Inside wasn’t the jewelry or doll she had expected, but a strangely constructed object.

The main part was a Crystal Ball, clear as water and about the size of a child’s fist. Suspended within were countless fine grains of silver stardust, emitting a soft, faint glow.

What was even stranger was that the Crystal Ball was set in an exquisite dark wood base. The base was carved with winding vines and star patterns, and on its side was a device that looked like a wind-up knob.

Eleanor carefully lifted it out.

It was cool to the touch. The stardust within the Crystal Ball swirled slowly with her movements, resembling a miniature nebula.

"What is this?" she couldn’t help but ask, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the flowing starlight.

"A small Astrolabe," Murphy explained. "Turn the knob on the side."

Eleanor did as he said, her fingertips struggling slightly to turn the tiny knob.

After a few turns, she let go.

Something magical happened.

The flow of the stardust inside the Crystal Ball suddenly quickened. It began to gather and disperse according to some unseen law, arranging itself until it projected a clear, three-dimensional image of a slowly rotating constellation in the center of the sphere.

Even more astonishingly, an exquisitely clear melody began to flow from the base. It was ethereal and bright, like the whispered song of distant stars, and it perfectly matched the rotation of the star map.

"The music is a fragment of the ancient Song of the Stars," Murphy added, his gaze resting on Eleanor’s instantly brightened eyes. "I hope you like it."

Eleanor was completely captivated. Cradling the Astrolabe, she looked from the shifting starlight within it to Murphy’s face, a joyous smile blooming on her own. "Thank you! It’s so beautiful! Like... like those light-birds from earlier, but quieter."

She thought of the birds of starlight that had dissipated in the hall moments before. By comparison, this silent and eternal little cosmos in her hands felt more comforting and mesmerizing.

"A very thoughtful gift, Count O’Connor," Margaret remarked. "It seems you’ve studied the stars extensively."

"I only know a little," Murphy said, meeting Margaret’s gaze. "Miss Eleanor seems to have an interest in the stars, so I thought it would be a fitting gift."

He said nothing more, simply bowing to Margaret and Eleanor again. Then he took a step back, turned, and walked back to his seat.

Eleanor remained immersed in the magical world of the Astrolabe, softly humming the few notes of the melody she had just memorized while her fingers gently caressed the smooth surface of the Crystal Ball.

Margaret looked down at her daughter’s focused profile, then glanced in Murphy’s direction.

She drew Eleanor a little closer, her fingertips brushing through her daughter’s soft hair.

As Murphy returned to his seat, Annabelle took the opportunity to announce the formal conclusion of the gift presentation.

At that moment, the bells for the luncheon rang out melodiously.

...

The luncheon was held in a transparent, domed banquet hall in the eastern wing of Taymer Palace, overlooking a lake. Filled with sunlight and offering an expansive view, it would normally have been an ideal venue for a joyous feast.

However, after the morning’s shocking developments, not even the gourmet delicacies and melodious music could truly dispel the heavy tension that filled the air.

Upon the long table, crystal goblets refracted the sunlight, and silver cutlery occasionally produced a soft clinking sound.

The nobles sat according to their rank and closeness to the ducal family. The subject of their hushed conversations, however, had quietly shifted from romantic trifles and territorial anecdotes to the Iron Ridge Mountain Range, the Plane Waymark, the New Realm Wizards, and that uninvited Marquis from the Tower of Secret Silver.

From time to time, their gazes would secretly dart toward the head table, trying to glean more information from the expressions of Duke Temeris and the Governor of the Monte Territory.

At the head of the table, Margaret had changed into a relatively simple, ivory-white court dress. Her black hair was swept into an elegant bun, secured by a single Pearl hairpin.

Her composure was perfect as she gracefully handled the toasts and probing questions from the most distinguished guests. She maintained an impeccable, courteous smile, as if the morning’s confrontation hadn’t affected her in the slightest.

As the little birthday girl, Eleanor was seated in a special chair beside her mother, with the lady-in-waiting, Leia, attentively helping her with her meal.

The little girl seemed somewhat tired, but she did her best to sit up straight, taking small bites of the exquisite food prepared just for her. Occasionally, she would look up at her mother before her curious gaze drifted to the silent Murphy, seated not far away.

Murphy was seated a short distance to Margaret’s left. The meal before him was virtually untouched. He simply held a glass half-filled with deep red wine, his gaze seemingly fixed at random on the glittering surface of the lake outside.