When I opened my eyes, I saw a blinding light, hazy and bright. The sound of breathing was so close, I could almost feel someone holding me. Someone was calling to me tenderly, "Ohhh! Our little angel opened her eyes! So beautiful! Even though her hair is barely longer than your stubble, she's still absolutely precious!"
"Hey! Come on. No need to roast the baby's dad the second she opens her eyes!"
Two bright faces beamed at me with eager smiles. I felt something strange—I knew they were my parents. I wanted to greet them… but well, I was a ten-second-old baby!
I was getting sleepy. My eyes were far too tiny to keep open as long as I wanted. But something inside me screamed that I had to take in everything around me—right now. Something told me this moment would never come again. So I had to memorize every last detail.
"Our little angel already has the eyes of a graceful lady."
"But you always said you wanted a son, Norb! What happened to that? Graceful lady?!"
My father, whose name I now knew, calmly and brilliantly countered everything he'd ever said, "I said I wanted a son, but I never said I didn't want a daughter! And now that I think about it, I really admire strong, graceful women. Like you..." He ran a hand over Mother's hair with a loving smile.
Mother seemed like one of those women who'd heard such compliments countless times before, yet still had infinite room to hear them again. She acted annoyed by Father's antics, but deep down, she hungered for every crumb of his affection.
"Their gender doesn't matter at all. I just hope they have a bright future. and a good life, of course."
Just then, father said in his self-satisfied tone, "As if I'd let our beautiful angel suffer? The child of nobility will always have a guaranteed life, a perfect flawless one with everything they could ever want."
I was an noble child. The room's ornate walls and lavish design screamed that this was no ordinary home. Beyond this room, a palace likely awaited.
Well then, now that I knew my future was secured, it was time for a perfect nap. Even if I had to pretend this glowing blue window beside me was totally normal… and that everyone had one.
[69 Dumb Choices]
Episode 1
Three days had passed since my grand debut. In that time, a parade of people came to admire me and congratulate my parents on my arrival.
Some were uncles and cousins, others just friends (aka high-ranking nobles who wanted to stay on Dad's good side). Every time I locked eyes with them, I felt very important; Which, let's be honest, I absolutely was!
But here's the problem. That damn window was still floating in front of me. The only time I couldn't see it was when I closed my eyes. And in bold, obnoxious letters, it just had to say: 'BEGIN'.
Begin WHAT? Piss off already and let me enjoy my newborn phase in peace!
Every time I saw it, I told myself the same thing. But damn it, I couldn't take it anymore.
After those three days, when Mother tucked me into the cradle and thinking I was asleep, I stretched out my tiny hands to touch it. At first, I thought it'd be out of reach… but when my fingers brushed against it and the screen changed, my opinion shifted entirely.
Anyway, that touch opened a new screen. No f*cking preamble, just a blunt: 'Who are you?'
As I read the options, two things hit me. One, Despite being a literal newborn, I could read. Flawlessly. And somehow, this didn't even surprise me anymore.
The second point was the characteristics listed as options. There were all kinds of choices available, but I could only select three of them.
Happy, sociable, harsh, humorous, dignified, kind, anxious, intelligent, foolish, impatient, lazy, fearful, thrill-seeking, calm, insensitive, hopeful, hardworking, jealous, depressed, annoying, ashamed, shy, proud, extroverted, introverted, talkative, domineering, submissive, competitive, loyal, isolated, honest, liar, critical, imaginative, emotional, curious, focused, organized, obsessive, messy, fair, responsible, strict, patient, ambitious, content, sincere, logical, unpredictable.
All of them were listed right there. Even though I was just a seemingly ordinary baby, I clearly understood the meaning of each one. I also knew that no human existed outside these traits, it was as if every person in history had been introduced to me within this single frame.
Many of these emotions and traits caught my attention, but I was only allowed to choose three.
Lying in my soft, comfortable cradle as a newborn baby, I pondered what kind of life I should lead as the daughter of nobility. It seemed simple. For someone like me, it was probably already decided that I should be a dignified, respectable, intelligent, and logical woman. That meant I'd have to train hard to one day become a worthy heir to my father's legacy.
But… don't get me wrong, I don't not want power; I just don't want my life to be completely consumed by bureaucratic duties or political responsibilities. I want to feel excitement. I want to live every moment to the fullest.
I think I've figured out at least two of the traits I want. First, I'll pick 'Thrill-Seeker.'
The moment I selected it, some options disappeared; like 'Lazy,' 'Impatient,' 'Insensitive,' 'Calm,' 'Isolated,' and 'Introverted.'
When I thought about how these traits were connected, I realized they were all opposites of 'Thrill-Seeker.' So this glowing blue thing is way smarter than it looks.
My second pick? 'Domineering.' Given my status, this'll definitely help me play the part.
Honestly, I've always wanted to boss people around and make them obey. Now that I've got the chance, why not take it? Though I'm still not sure if this blue window actually works or if it's all just bulls*it.
With this selection, even more traits became unavailable and I couldn't choose them anymore. 'Dignified,' 'Kind,' 'Ashamed,' 'Shy,' 'Submissive,' 'Messy,' and 'Content' were all locked away.
What bothered me most was losing 'Kind.' I didn't want to be a tyrant, so my goal was to balance it later with something gentle, or at least 'Dignified.' I could've gone back, but what was the point? Honestly… between dominance and kindness, I prefer the former.
And now, my final choice, something I wasn't sure about and needed to think through carefully. So far, I'd picked 'Thrill-Seeker' and 'Domineering.' But beyond those… what else did I really need?
Of all the remaining traits, I hesitated between two: 'Intelligent' and 'Humorous.'
I'd already chosen Thrill-Seeker, so even without Humorous, my life could still be full of joy and bright moments. But… if I picked 'Intelligent,' I risked becoming someone people avoided a dangerous, ill-tempered genius! Yet Intelligent perfectly complements Dominant. It'd help me gain more power and, more importantly, keep it. Plus, with sharp wits, I could protect myself and my family from threats.
I think I've finally figured out which trait to choose. From this moment on, I am Camellia Leonhardt, daughter of the nobleman Norb Leonhardt. A girl who loves risks, leads fiercely, and never stops learning.