Chapter 11 - Birthday Date

Willow decided to get ready on her own today— without the help of her maid as she usually would. She found the idea of getting help get ready somewhat odd now because her two lives were mixing together.

But nonetheless, she walked over to the large walk-in closet to find the outfit for the day. As she walked, she couldn't help but notice that her movements were more fluid and precise, with control over the sound she produced.

It seemed the intergration of Natalia's capabilities did more than grant her the skills and stats of the hero, but also influenced her in ways she didn't expect.

It would be something she explored further into when she had the time and freedom to do so— but for now, she had to get dressed for the busy day ahead of her.

Sifting through the various clothing items in her large closet— all sorts of outfits that were a mixture of gifts and purchases— she finally decided on a plain dress for the time being.

Later, she would have to change into another outfit for the party, but before that, she preferred to enjoy herself and be comfortable rather than wear something complex and uncomfortable.

The dress wasn't outstanding. It was dark blue in color and reached her knees, with a belt around the waist to add to the style. She wore flat, matching blue shoes and a cute little bow on the side of her head.

It took her a few minutes to get dressed before she had finished getting ready, and after one last check in the mirror to make sure she looked alright, she made her way out the door.

Entering the hallway, she was met with a row of decorations throughout the entire place, as far as her eyes could see. The place had been decorated quite nicely for her birthday today, with golden ribbons adorning the walls.

Fancy lighting was stringed along the ceiling, decorative pieces of artwork were placed on tables and hung on the walls, and even the floor had been covered by a red carpet for the day.

It was an amazing display that surprised even Willow— it was beyond anything they had done for any of her previous birthdays, and saying she was impressed would be an understatement.

'It seems the servants were busy last night.'

She made a mental comment in her mind seeing the hard work the servants had put in for her, and she couldn't help but be thankful— they had worked throughout the night just to make the day special for her, and that alone made her grateful towards them.

The hallway itself was empty of life—she was currently the only one there since, from what she could tell, most of the servants were either resting or working elsewhere.

And since it was quite a while before she usually woke up, Elara was most likely still doing other things— as such, she had the freedom to explore unimpeded.

Walking down the hallway, she couldn't help but gaze out the window to the large front yard. Below, the estate was bustling with activity as preparations for the celebration were still underway. The servant rushed about, making sure everything was set up perfectly.

Many important figures from the city would be visiting today to celebrate and pay their respects— not only to her but to her family as a whole— so they had to make sure everything was perfect.

Turning away from the window, she kept a steady pace and made her way down the hallway. Soon enough, she entered the living room and was met by an unexpected yet familiar face.

One that brought great joy to her heart.

"Father!"

Her words came at the same time as her feet' movement. Rushing towards the figure before her with hurried steps, she jumped into their embrace before they could fully turn to face her.

The figure was her father— she hadn't seen him for months or longer, and she had greatly missed him. He had always cared for her, and even though he was often busy, he never missed out on spoiling her whenever he could.

Due to that, she naturally loved him dearly— and she missed him greatly.

Her father heard a loud voice suddenly exclaim behind him while he was busy talking to the head butler and instantly knew who it was— a smile painted on her face as he turned to greet her.

However, he wasn't expecting her to suddenly leap at him, causing him to panic quickly and try to catch her before she fell, but he succeeded nonetheless.

"I've missed you, welcome back."

Willow said as she embraced him in a hug, the man sighing softly in relief as he embraced her as well— feeling the warmth of his home he had been missing all the time.

"Look at you, you've grown so big, just now you'll be the one picking me up."

Her father placed her down onto the ground as he said that and smiled at her, giving her a pat on the head. 

He wasn't lying— she had grown a lot since he had seen her, which left him with a mixture of emotions, but above all else, he was pleased that she could live and grow to this point, to begin with.

His eyes did not hide these emotions either— which Willow picked up on.

"Don't worry, Dad. You might be short, but I won't be taller than you for a while."

Willow's words were playful, and she cheerfully spoke to her father, slightly looking up at him as she did.

Hearing her words, however, he couldn't help but grimace at being called short— it had been something he couldn't escape all his life. He was never tall and born with a slim figure; he often looked a lot younger than he really was.

Standing at only 5'8— which was below average for most men in Piltover. And while Willow was still young, she was already at the height of 5 feet.

"You get all that height of yours from your mother— your personality as well."