Nine months had passed.
Ever since I picked those traits, the blue window hadn't shown up again. I figured it was all just a fake—or maybe a dream. But one thing kept bugging me:Why the hell would a glowing interface pop up for a newborn who can't read or write?
Then again… I was clearly not your average baby!
Of course, I had no clue whether other babies were like me or not. Maybe they could read too, and adults just had no idea!
Anyway, Nine months passed. By then, 90% of my diet was milk—the rest, some mushy, nameless goop. But every time I latched onto Mom's soft chest, I'd somehow drift right to sleep afterward. Her arms were warm, her embrace even softer. Honestly? Greatest pleasure in the world.
My mother's name was Naria. The only love of my father's life. I never learned much about how they met or married, but over this relatively long period, I realized they were both important people. My father held the position of head of the Leonhardt family. He had six brothers and two sisters, but among all of them—except for his second sister—he was the only one with just one child: me. The one destined to inherit all this property and wealth.
I'm getting whiffs of blood and backstabbing already.
[69 Dumb Choices]
Episode 2
It's not like we always stayed inside our big house. Sometimes, Mom would take me to town in the carriage. Not to show me around—just to run her own errands, which usually meant meeting up with her friends. And me? I was just a nine-month-old baby, stuck in her arms, staring at the world around me.
It was early spring when mom picked me up again and we headed to the city in a carriage. I never had a clue where we were going—and that's what made it exciting. Just the way I liked it. But this time… this time was different. We walked into an academy. And not just any academy—this one had big, bold letters over the entrance: 'The Leonhardt Elite Academy.'
One look and I knew—this was no ordinary school. Yeah, it was ours, but that's not what made it special. The students' uniforms, the massive campus sprawled across over a thousand square meters… hell, barely any schools in the world had grounds like this. And that was just the outside of the academy.
I had a feeling deep down that one day, I'd be studying in this very school. Didn't even matter if I was actually smart enough to be called a 'Elite' or not. This place had 'Leonhardt' written all over it—literally. So yeah, future student? Obviously me.
God… help me! How is this tiny infant body even surviving this pressure? How the hell can I understand any of this?!
While I was still trying to keep my excitement and stress in check, my eyes landed on a woman walking toward us with a smile. Her long, golden hair was draped over her left shoulder as she said, "Hello, Mrs. Leonhardt! Welcome! Had I known you'd be visiting today, I would've prepared a proper welcome for you!"
Like nearly everyone I'd ever seen, their sycophancy dial cranked up to max whenever they noticed my parents. Mom, cradling me, replied with a polite smile, "Thank you. I came to see Anne."
The woman didn't miss a beat, gushing, "Oh! Ms. Anne is in her office—right this way, please! I'd be honored to take you there!"
We walked through the campus and entered one of the buildings. Despite being inside a school, it felt completely empty—no students anywhere. That's because this was the administrative wing, off-limits to anyone but faculty and staff.
There were tons of rooms here, and a whole lot of important-looking people coming and going. Every single one of them would drop whatever they were doing the second they saw Mom, just to greet her. And Mom? She'd just flash them a smile and give a tiny nod—like royalty casually acknowledging their subjects.
I loved that aura of hers. Kind but never weak. Yeah, now I get why Dad fell for this woman.
Minutes of navigating corridors and endless staircases later, we arrived at the office. There she was—Anne Leonhardt. The school's director, Dad's little sister, and the youngest heir of the Leonhardt name.
That blonde woman guided us to the office door, then immediately turned back the way she came. Honestly, did she even need to escort us? People like her just want to score points with the nobility—that's why they pull these useless little favors.
Mom held me with one arm and knocked with the other—classy respect move. When Anne's voice called out from inside, she hilariously peeked just her head through the door first and cooed, "How's my sweet girl doing?!"
The moment Anne heard that voice, she jumped up from her chair and rushed to the door with a face full of joy, "Sis! I'm so happy to see you!"
When they hugged each other, I was practically getting squished between them! Anne smelled overwhelmingly of perfume. And of course, she was dressed like she was headed to a royal gala; that signature elegant style of hers. The first time I'd seen her was right after I was born. She was the first Leonhardt family member to visit me, coming to congratulate my parents on my arrival. Even though she was heavily pregnant at the time with a huge belly, she still had that cheerful energy about her; like she was constantly strolling through paradise.
"How's work going? All good?"
"Thanks for asking. Yes, everything's fine, sis. Just a bit busier with the school year ending and exams coming up."
"Oh GOD, exams! I loathed them when I was a student! Total nightmare - I'd pull all-nighters stressing, only to barely pass by the skin of my teeth!" She chuckled.
So Mom was a lazy student! Well, I sure hope I don't take after her; otherwise, that characteristic of being smart is useless.
"Aww, check her out! Kamelia! Oh my god, she's too cute!"
Whoop! She literally stole me from Mom's arms and smushed me against her face. She was so excited to see me, she practically forgot Mom existed! Though Mom still called out, "Careful you don't drop her, Anne!"
Drop me?! Wait—do you have a history of dropping babies?! Cut it out, lady—give me back to Mom right now. And STOP. KISSING. ME. Ugh, disgusting!
While I was busy fending off Anne's relentless kisses, Mom's eyes landed on another baby in the room. One sitting on the desk and playing with toys. And by 'playing,' I mean shoving a wooden doll halfway down its throat like it was a midnight snack!
Mom saw this, she swooped in and yanked the doll right out of the baby's mouth, "Hey there, little troublemaker! We don't eat dolls, that's dirty!"
That's when Anne finally noticed her own kid and gasped, "Oh my god, sis, sorry!" She immediately plopped me down on the desk right next to the little troublemaker. "Lorine! Bad girl! How many times have I told you—toys aren't food?!"
Anne's raised voice startled the poor infant into wailing. But Mom, with her signature twinkle, cooed, "Oh sweetheart, no need for tears! Let's have some cuddles instead..."
A moment later, the baby in her arms magically calmed down, tears instantly drying up. And that's when my own infant instincts kicked in. I hated that some other baby was now occupying what was rightfully my spot.
What are you doing, Mom? I'm your baby—not her! Put that girl down! Tch! I'm counting to three, and if you don't, I'll turn on the waterworks so hard even Grandma hears it! One... two... THREE! Don't say I didn't warn you...
I kept waving my tiny fists in Mom's face, desperately trying to steal her attention back. I even made these weird gurgling sounds—definitely not real crying, more like a demonic baby trying to curse. Couldn't form words yet, but my message to that other infant was crystal clear. Let's just say... some things are better left untranslated.
Eventually, seeing my desperate flailing, she scooped me up with her other arm. Now we were both cradled against her, face to face. Seeing the other baby's teary eyes up close gave me this strange feeling. I was too close—her huge, shimmering eyes held my gaze so intensely, I barely registered Mom's voice or who she was even speaking to.
Her pupils were ringed with layers of shimmering gold—a spectrum of yellows so vivid they seemed to glow from within, especially where tears still pooled. Those enormous eyes reflected my own face back at me with perfect clarity, our gazes locked in this impossible mirror. It was the most mesmerizing thing I'd ever seen. I was lost in them, barely registering her tiny hands reaching toward my head.
Wait—was she playing with my pathetic wisps of hair... or petting me like some kind of exotic pet? Hard to tell.
This was the strangest thing I'd ever experienced. An infant was petting my head... while I was drowning in the golden oceans of her eyes.
And that's how I met her—the most beautiful problem of my life. Lorine Leonhardt. My cousin.