Two months later.
For my second birthday celebration, surrounded by the Leonhardt family, I had become the undisputed queen of the event. Dressed in an ornate white gown with delicate embroidery, I sat perched on the most elaborate chair in the grand hall. My only duty? To beam at the guests as they laughed and mingled—no effort required.
A pile of gifts from my 'dear relatives' now towered on the table before me. I was genuinely curious—what had these esteemed family members brought for me? Fingers crossed one of them contains a pretty little crown!
The party had only just begun, and guests were still trickling in. Among them was my uncle Theo—the youngest son of the Leonhardt family, though 'youngest' still meant he was 28.
The moment he entered, the servant by the door announced loudly, 'Sir Theo Leonhardt has arrived.' At once, every guest rose in respect—except me. Not out of defiance; I'd simply forgotten. Honestly, I was too busy sitting there, bored out of my mind, wishing they'd all just vanish into their graves already.
As the attendants helped Theo out of his coat, he spotted his brother David—the fourth son of the Leonhardt family—and lit up. They exchanged a hearty handshake before pulling each other into a tight hug, "David! Missed you, brother," Theo said. But mid-embrace, I caught Theo whispering something into David's ear… followed by a smirk. I couldn't care less, honestly, so I turned my attention back to the gifts.
Then suddenly—Theo swooped in, grabbed me under my arms, and hoisted me into the air, "How's my favorite niece?! Gods, you're light as a feather! I should tie a string to you and send you flying like a balloon!"
What the f*ck did you just say? Put me down, you motherf*cking bastard, before I spit in your goddamn face!
The stench of his cheap cigarette made me cough violently. My mother, seated beside me, rose with a smile—but her tone was steel, "Theo, you reek of smoke again. Children are sensitive to this smell."
She plucked me from his arms and settled me back onto my chair. Theo offered an apology laced with his usual theatrics, "Ah, forgive me, sister-in-law! I meant to skip this, but… look at that angelic face! How could I resist?"
Like the others, he produced a gift—unwrapped, clearly revealing a dark blue ruby necklace, "Here, little one. This is yours. Hope you like it."
Mother instantly countered, "Camelia can't wear a necklace this big at her age!"
"I bought it for her adult self. She'll grow into it," Theo replied, his tone so blunt and haughty that even I felt offended. The look he gave Mother was loaded with something dark—something unsettling—but Maria simply answered it with a smile.
Just then, David cut through the tension. "Drop it, little brother. Did you plan this? If Brother Norb finds out, he'll start another fight."
"On purpose? Am I insane?" Theo scoffed. "I told you—I was too busy to shop properly. Just grabbed this from the store." He turned to Mother, suddenly earnest. "But mark my words—this is one of the rarest sapphires in the kingdom. Even most nobles never get to see one up close!"
Even though she had initially objected to such an extravagant gift, Mother still thanked him and told me to do the same. I, who had only just begun speaking a few words coherently in the past two months, struggled a bit, "Tha-tha-thank you, Uncle Theo!" I flashed him my biggest smile—just so he wouldn't go around later saying Norb's daughter hates me.
"How sweet!" He finally left our side and went to sit with David. It was obvious he enjoyed his brother's company far more than the rest of the family.
A few minutes later, just as the party was in full swing, the guest I'd been waiting for most finally arrived. Dressed in a stunning crimson gown, its layers of lace tailored for aristocratic galas, with a matching ribbon tied into her long, raven-black hair.
Anne Leonhardt, the second daughter and youngest child of the Leonhardt family, had made her entrance as the final guest to my second birthday celebration.
[69 Dumb Choices]
Episode 7: Blue Eyes
My eyes landed on Lorine. Walking hand in hand with her mother, she wore a white dress just like mine - pure and innocent like an angel. Lorine's mother lit up with joy when she saw mine, hugging her tightly as if to make up for all the time they'd been apart. Meanwhile, my gaze remained fixed on Lorine. A flicker of anxiety stirred within me, though I tried not to show it. Yet Lorine's eyes were looking elsewhere. At my presents.
Anne asked her assistant to hand the box she was holding to my mother. "Sister, it's nothing much. This gift is from me for Camellia. I hope she likes it."
"Thank you, dear. Camellia will surely be happy."
Just as my mother was about to move toward the table to place the gift with the others, Lorine spoke up in a childish voice—stumbling over her words, pausing for breath between syllables, just like I used to when I couldn't speak clearly yet, "C-Can... I... give it... to Ca-Ca-Camellia?"
As I sat motionless on my special chair, I stared at her in surprise. I didn't know why she'd made such a request. Maybe she just felt like it? That's the reason behind most things little kids do.
At first, Mother looked startled too, studying her for a long moment. Just then, Anne inserted herself back into the situation to apologize. "Lorine! You can't just do whatever you want. Did you forget what we talked about at home?!"
But before Lorine could fully regret her request, Mother smiled and said, "It's alright. You can give this to Camellia."
Lorine's innocent face lit up like sunshine when she heard this. She took the box from Mother's hands and said excitedly, "Th-thank... you... Si-Sister..."
Anne suddenly drew in a sharp breath, her cheeks flushing red. "What are you saying, Lorine!"
Even I couldn't help but let out a short laugh, just like Mother whose smile grew even wider. Lorine came over to me and, without any shyness, held out the gift box. "Here... umm... this is yours."
With complete childish directness and no ceremony at all, she handed me the present. "Thank you..." I replied.
"H-happy... birthday." Her golden eyes sparkled with pure excitement, literally glowing with layers of shimmering light that overlapped like a star-filled galaxy. I couldn't help but adore them. I couldn't bear to think that one day I'd steal this girl's power. I couldn't stop wishing those eyes were mine.
As soon as I gave her a simple thank-you, I noticed a faint, fleeting smile cross her face before she suddenly squeezed in next to me—onto my special chair that was clearly meant for only one person. Her closeness made my body instinctively lean toward the armrest to get away, but it wasn't enough.
"Oh my God! Lorine, what are you doing?! Come here right now!"
Just then, David—legs crossed and lounging comfortably in his chair—said to Anne, "Relax, Anne. Let them have their fun. Aren't you going to greet your brothers?"
Anne's attention snapped from Lorine to David and Theo. "Oh, forgive me! Lorine distracted me." She stepped forward to hug them. During the exchange, Theo asked, "Where's your husband? Didn't he come?"
"Oh... um... he's away on business and couldn't make it. He asked me to apologize to Maria and her daughter."
My mother responded, "Don't say that. Honestly, I didn't expect any of you to come to Camellia's birthday party given your busy schedules."
David smirked and said, "Had I known the entire Leonhardt family would just be me, Theo, and Anne, I wouldn't have come either. Even the host of this party isn't present."
My mother's expression gradually darkened, though she struggled to maintain her smile and composure. "Norb had an important meeting at the palace. He couldn't reschedule it - it was out of his hands."
One by one, their words chipped away at Mother's composure. Only Anne remained silent, standing beside David's wife. "Forget dinner," she said. "If this is how it's going to be, I'd rather eat at home with my beloved." David rose and wrapped his arm around his slender, made-up wife's waist. "Let's go home, darling."
Theo interjected, "But I just got here!"
"You can stay," David replied. "Or if you're free, come to our place. We can have some real fun tonight and no need to worry about anyone's rules or judgments!"
I couldn't miss the target of his sarcastic remark. Though physically absent, his words clearly struck at the one person whose staunchest supporter, Maria, had to endure it all.
Mother didn't stop them. By now, even the pretense of a smile had vanished from her lips. She stood frozen, her hands knotted together in front of her skirt, watching them leave. Not one of them even bothered to say goodbye to me—no final glance, no parting gesture. Even though this party was supposed to be for me.
I hate birthdays.
I was still wrestling with that infuriating thought when the most beautiful problem in my life stole my attention once again. Her fingers slipped into my hair, gently and meticulously combing through the strands—just like she'd done when I was nine months old. Back then, my hair had barely reached half a finger's length, but now it had grown enough for her to touch to her heart's content.
Mother and Anne were preoccupied with seeing the others off. They were busy bidding farewell, leaving just me alone with this nosy little girl.
That's when the idea struck me. Maybe I could steal Lorine's Elecro right now! But... how?!
I had no idea how to steal someone's Elecro—let alone from a two-year-old whose powers hadn't even manifested yet. But here she was, touching me freely. No one else remained except the servants, and they were staring blankly into space! Maybe... maybe if I made direct contact, something would happen.
Nothing about this was certain—just a spur-of-the-moment idea, a reckless decision like countless ones people make in life. I raised my hand, just enough to reach her face, and suddenly pressed my palm against her cheek. The softness of her skin against mine was startlingly vivid, like touching the feather of a bird!
This time, even Lorine—her fingers still tangled in my hair—paused her stroking and stared at me with wide, startled eyes.
Nothing happened. No system message, no strange sensation hinting at some hidden reaction. I was disappointed. Even though it had been a reckless attempt, I couldn't help but feel defeated. Just as I tried to pull my hand away from her cheek, she caught it and pressed it back against her face. She leaned into my touch, tilting her head, her eyes sparkling with unmistakable delight as she gazed up at me.
My heart pounded faster. That affectionate look of hers was driving me crazy. I couldn't look away—which was why I saw it so clearly; the golden flecks in her irises shifting into a bright, shimmering blue.