"Happy birthday, Filly!"
In the villa's first-floor hall, everyone offered their congratulations, then gathered around to watch Filly blow out the candles on the cake, close her eyes, and make a wish with her hands clasped together.
"So this is what a birthday ritual looks like," Igula said, "I'm learning something new."
"Huh?" Filly asked, "Have you never celebrated a birthday?"
"We all grew up in an orphanage; you can consider us born orphans. There, a birthday is just an ordinary day, nothing special for us to celebrate," Igula explained, "And honestly, preparing a cake and lighting the same number of candles as your age on the day you were born, then blowing them out in one go to make a wish with your eyes closed... I'm not doing such a weird ritual. Who knows what might happen?"
