What the hell is this?!
Steal?! Why the hell would I do that? What kind of messed-up mission is this? This has to be a joke... right?!
I couldn't believe what I was seeing—but the countdown at the bottom of the window kept ticking mercilessly onward.
Three years and eight months…
By then, I'll be halfway through my fourth year of life. You're telling me I'm supposed to pull off some insane, dangerous mission like this as a four-year-old?
This has to be a joke. A lie. I can't… I won't believe it.
Suddenly, Mom was right in front of me. She climbed into the carriage, pulling me into her lap as it lurched forward. Her face still carried that same weight—only now, it was wet with rain. Even part of her dress clung damply to her skin. And there, hovering at the edge of my vision like a specter: that damned blue window. The harder I stared, the more options I glimpsed at its edges. One read: [INVENTORY].
As I puzzled over what this could mean, the INVENTORY suddenly popped open—without me even touching it. Rows of empty squares stared back at me, topped by a message: 'You currently have no stored items.'
I didn't fully understand, but I had theories. Not that it mattered. Not now, with that missiongnawing at my mind. Still… I could ignore it. There were no rules forcing me to engage. So I tried to shut it out. Like I said before—I refuse to have existential crises before my first birthday. I'm supposed to play and laugh like any normal girl. So why the hell can't I stop thinking about this?!
At that exact moment, as my mind drowned in bitter, spiraling thoughts—just like Mom's had earlier, the rain intensified violently.
[69 Dumb Choices]
Episode 4: Mirror Named Mother
As the carriage pulled into the manor grounds, the coachman—soaked through—swung the door open and placed a small step for Mother to descend. Two servants in our household's formal livery, crisp white shirts under plain black vests, stood waiting at the inner doors. One rushed forward, snapping open a white parasol and holding it over Mom's head. Cradled against her, I stayed dry—but I could still feel the lingering dampness clinging to her clothes, seeping into my own warmth.
Mom's face had gone terrifyingly blank—the kind of expression that made me clamp my mouth shut, even if I could have spoken. Some silences aren't meant to be broken.
As we walked toward the manor doors under the servant's parasol, I spotted Father—perched atop a cream-colored horse that matched his coat, staring at us with the same unreadable intensity as Mom. His gaze wasn't just serious; it was a blade sheathed in ice.
Why was he here? Why did they both have that look? I couldn't begin to guess.
Mom stopped in front of the horse, locking eyes with Father—who couldn't even be bothered to dismount. Then, after seconds of suffocating silence, he flicked his hand, "Everyone, leave us."
Now it was just Mom under the parasol, and Father in the rain. Alone together, with words between them that would haunt my curiosity for days—yet remain a mystery to me for ten long years.
The servants tucked me into my cradle—a room built just for my infancy, dominated by a large bed I'd likely graduate to in a year or so. For now, it loomed over me like a promise: This is where you'll outgrow yourself.
Now that I was alone, I had to explore the window's options further. That damn mission it had assigned me—I prayed it was some sick joke. All it took was a single thought, and the interface materialized again, unprompted. No voice command, no gesture. Just there. This time, I zeroed in on the mission text. Nearly an hour had already passed. This… wasn't going away.
In the bottom left corner, a tiny icon sat beside the word [HELP]. I reached out to tap it—but before my finger could connect, it clicked open on its own. Lines of text began scrolling across the window, as if some invisible hand was typing them in real time.
"Dear User! Welcome to your first mission out of 69 total missions.
You have entered a life story and are currently the daughter of the Leonhardt family head. This is your first title! Congratulations!
However… your first mission is extremely difficult—especially since you must complete it by age four. Nevertheless, this mission is mandatory. Do you remember the traits you selected? Use them to successfully complete this task. Steal Lorine Leonhardt's Elecro to fulfill your objective for the next mission.
If you succeed, you will not only gain Lorine Leonhardt's power but also increase your family's trust for greater ambitions. But if you fail, you will be exiled from all Leonhardt family privileges for the crime of attempting to steal from Lorine Leonhardt."