That day marked the beginning of my friendship with Lorine. After their week-long stay, Anne began visiting our house more frequently—always at Lorine's insistence. The little girl would beg her mother to let her play with me. Meanwhile, Mother rarely left the estate. I didn't know why, but perhaps it had something to do with what happened on my birthday night.
That night, after Lorine and Anne had retired to the guest room, Father finally returned from his meeting. Exhaustion weighed on his entire body, though all he'd done was sit in a chair and debate with others. No meeting usually lasted this late into the night... but this one had been different.
Father went straight to the grand, opulent bathroom of our estate after arriving, sinking into the steaming hot tub to soothe his exhausted body. But no amount of scalding water could cleanse his spirit. The dark, swirling thoughts clung to him—parasitic, inescapable.
He dried himself mechanically, dressed in fresh clothes, and stepped out. From the crack in my bedroom door, I watched him.
I'd been waiting.
He wasn't at my birthday. My father. I'd wanted him there. Worry had gnawed at me all evening—Where was he? Why was he so late?
The guards patrolling the hallway made it impossible for me to approach Father's door and eavesdrop on his conversation with Mother. So I closed my door quietly and collapsed onto my bed, frustrated. There was nothing I could do—not until I reached double digits in age.
Episode 9: From Your Perspective; I'm in Danger
[69 Dumb Choices]
I gently closed the door, but the rusty hinges still squeaked loudly. I'd complained about fixing this door countless times, but no one ever listened. Maybe next time I'd remember to have the whole damn thing replaced.
I opened the wardrobe to find my sleepwear - a full set of cool cotton pajamas that made sleeping infinitely more comfortable. Just as I pulled them out, I heard Maria's voice behind me,"You're late."
That was all. Short, but with that worried tone that always made my heart race. I constantly craved even a scrap of her attention. It was why I conserved my energy all day, just for the chance to see her again.
"Ah... you're awake. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"No, I wasn't asleep. Not deeply, anyway. Tonight was... exhausting. But... it seems Camellia didn't feel the same way. She and Lorine got along surprisingly well."
"Camellia..." Right. Today was her birthday. A pang of guilt twisted in my chest. Damn. I didn't even get her a present.
"I'm sorry. An important meeting at the palace today ruined all my plans. I'll send her a proper gift tomorrow. She... wasn't upset with me, was she?"
"Upset? I don't know. She didn't talk much. Only when she was in her room with Lorine—then she wouldn't stop chatting. I doubt she even thought about you!"
Maria smirked, and against my will, I smiled too. It was rare to see her genuinely amused by her own sarcasm. But now, as my lips curved, guilt prickled at me—was I betraying my family by finding humor in this?
"Well... care to explain what this 'important meeting' was about?"
The moment had come. I knew she'd ask eventually. Nothing escapes Maria's ears and eyes—that's one of her most terrifying traits. She thinks far more than she acts, and when she does move, it's after months of calculation.
Now changed into my sleepwear, I sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath. Saying it wasn't hard. Remembering it was.
"The Crown plans... to attack Hangu."
Maria went still. "Again? Their peace treaty isn't even a year old."
"Yeah. Seems like the government won't back down until they put Hangu back on the country's map. Hangu's a prime spot—great geography and brings in serious cash. Plus, it used to be part of Olympis. No surprise the King doesn't want them to be independent."
"All the royal families were at the meeting. Out of the eight, six voted in favor. Nothing we can do about it now."
Maria said softly, "And what did you do?"
"Obviously, I voted against it. But I still can't fully wash my hands of this mess. I don't even wanna be involved in any war, period."
I dropped my head on the pillow. My eyes were killing me, heavy with exhaustion. Maria was still sitting up in bed next to me. I couldn't even guess what was going through her head—was she just as worried as I was?"
"The King ordered them to use every last Elecro in the country. Anyone whose Elecro is even remotely combat-ready."
As she pulled the soft white velvet blanket over me, she said, "We need to keep a closer eye on Camellia. She's just starting to get close to Lorine. I don't want her ending up in danger because of that friendship."
I get why she's worried, but Lorine is my niece. I can't do anything that'd hurt her either.
"I can't just tell my sister not to come here at all."
"I didn't say you should do that."
Our voices were undeniably quiet now. She lay down beside me, her face right in front of my eyes. I could even see her blank expression as she fell asleep.
Her blue eyes locked onto mine as she said, "Lorine is finally entering Leonhardt Academy. Protecting her isn't our responsibility. But protecting Camellia? That's nobody's job but ours. I don't want Camellia becoming close friends with someone who'll cause trouble in the future. Lorine's way too reckless and curious for her own good."
"Besides, Anne's staying here for a week. She wants to talk to you about something... though I'm not sure what."
"Something wrong?"
"She had a fight with her husband."
"What?" My voice rose slightly. This was unacceptable. No one should dare disrespect a member of the Leonhardt family. "Why? Did he raise his voice at Anne?"
I saw her let out a short laugh, a cold smile settling on her lips. "No... I don't know. She didn't tell me much."
She placed her hand on my cheek, pressing down gently and pushing my head deeper into the pillow to help me sleep more comfortably.
"Norb, talk to Anne. Tell her not to come around us too much during the war. Even if it upsets her... you have to say it. Please."
Lorine was a danger to Camellia. I wasn't entirely sure, but we couldn't let those two get too close.
But I was Norb. The head of the Leonhardt family. I had to make sure no one got hurt—physically or emotionally. So I allowed Lorine to visit our estate every Friday.
That was my first stupid mistake as a father