When I received that bracelet, months passed before the system revealed something new—an unexpected notification in my inventory.
{You have obtained a new item.
Blue Crystal Bracelet
Ability: Invisibility
Usage Limit: One-time only}
Just once... Of course. Father had said I needed to eat the crystal inside it. That meant I only had one shot at using this power.
69 Dumb Choices
Episode 11: Unspoken Words
When we returned home, Mother was already seated at the breakfast table with Anna and Lorine. She clearly knew where we'd been, yet asked no questions—only offering a tight-lipped, "There you are! Change your clothes and come eat."
Minutes later, I took my seat beside Lorine in yet another frilly dress—this one white with black trim along the sleeves and shoulders. She grinned at me, mouth stuffed with food, having already dug in before anyone else.
Father, positioned at the head of the table, formally announced the start of breakfast once I arrived. The meal progressed quietly for several minutes. Anne—his own sister—never once asked where we'd been. Yet Father had questions, carefully probing for his sister's unspoken thoughts:
"Anne... Yesterday, it seemed you wanted to tell me something?"
Anne paused mid-bite, her fork hovering over her plate as she shot Norb a startled look. "Yes, brother. I'll... tell you later."
"Later?!" His knuckles whitened around his drink cup. "Now would be better. My schedule gets crowded as the day goes on."
A bead of syrup dripped from Lorine's forgotten pancake onto the tablecloth. Anne's eyes darted between her brother and niece—this wasn't a conversation for children's ears. But Father's patience had evaporated:
"Is there a stranger at this table? We're family here. No secrets."
His tone left no room for debate, yet Anne's silence stretched taut as a bowstring.
Father's words forced Anne's hand. What was meant for Norb's ears alone would now echo before the entire family. She set down her silverware with deliberate calm, dabbing her lips with a napkin before speaking. Her gaze lingered on Lorine—oblivious, still happily devouring her meal. I kept up my own charade of eating, every sense tuned to their conversation.
"A few days ago... I argued with my husband." Anne's fingers tightened around her napkin. "Just a disagreement, really. He doesn't want Lorine attending Leonhardt Academy—doesn't want anyone discovering she has an Elecro." A brittle laugh escaped her. "And I... I dreamed of her studying at our family's academy, the finest in the kingdom. What greater honor could there be?"
"He can't stop people from finding out Lorine has an Elecro. No matter how hard you try. You'll just end up restricting your own daughter."
"True."
This child—just two years old—has already become the central topic of family discussions. Most conversations revolve around her Elecro, even though we still don't know what kind it is. Still, I thank my lucky stars I don't have one like hers. Otherwise, I'd either be living with severe restrictions or in constant fear.
Lorine at the academy benefits everyone—including himself. But I also have a request to make of you."
Anne, her hands placed neatly on her lap as she toyed with the folds of her skirt, replied, "A request?… Y-yes. Of course. Please go ahead, Brother Norb."
Dad, just like Anne, stopped eating his breakfast and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Mom would glance at Anne every now and then, but didn't really pay her much attention.
"I want you to come here less often. Once a week, at most. And that's only because it seems Lorine's become friends with Camellia—I don't want to get in the way of that. But you already know this. Lorine's Elecro has the power to change a lot of things. I just don't want it to become a problem. So I'm asking you to keep a closer eye on what she does."
Anne looked at my father like she had a thousand things she wanted to say but couldn't. Maybe she was upset—but all her face showed was one big question mark. Like a hope that had just been crushed.
Right then, my mother said, "Save the serious talk for after breakfast. Eat. Anne, sweetheart, you should eat too."
Anne reluctantly picked up her fork and spoon again and started eating without much interest. She didn't say a word in response to Father's request. And he didn't push her for one either. It was like he already knew his word would be followed. After all, he was the head of the family.