* * *
Oh. I had completely forgotten.
[You really weren’t expecting this, not even a little.]
The words were so spot-on that I cleared my throat awkwardly.
But wasn’t it weirder if I had expected it?
It’s not like Noah and I were particularly close.
[Well… it’s not like I needed to be congratulated. I’ve already gotten plenty.]
[You have such little greed for the strangest things.]
Was that an insult or a compliment?
[Anyway, thank you for the birthday wishes.]
Noah didn’t reply for a while.
‘Did I sound too rude?’
I was about to reflect on my choice of words when a new notification popped up.
[You have obtained the Invisibility Necklace.]
At the same time, something dropped in front of me with a soft thud.
Glancing down, I saw a simple-designed necklace lying there.
[It’s a birthday present.]
…What is this?
Did he just pull a ‘I found this on the way here’ move?
‘I mean, I can use the inventory function too, so why bother giving it to me physically?’
Maybe he wanted to hand it over in person.
But even so, just dropping it like that…
He could’ve at least placed it on the table.
Sometimes, I really couldn’t tell if his personality was good or bad.
‘Well, a gift is a gift.’
Bending down, I picked up the necklace.
A delicate silver chain with a deep blue gemstone.
It didn’t look particularly expensive at first glance.
But… an Invisibility Necklace?
‘Wait… does he know about my escape plans?’
It was too much of a coincidence to ignore.
But whether it was just a fluke or Noah’s intent, there was no benefit in reacting now.
‘How much would this be worth?’
Just then, another message appeared before my eyes.
[Invisibility Necklace: Tap the gemstone twice while wearing it to turn invisible. To deactivate, tap the gemstone once. Removing the necklace also disables the effect. There’s no time limit on invisibility, but it does not hide your presence, so be cautious.]
It felt like he had just copied and pasted the item description.
Then again, there was no need to rewrite what was already there.
I could’ve checked this directly in my inventory, but since he went out of his way to explain it, I read through it carefully.
So, I just have to tap the gemstone twice to activate it, and once to deactivate it…
[Why don’t you try it on?]
[Right now?]
[You need to make sure it actually works, don’t you?]
I mean, it was given by an ancient god, so I’d assume it works fine…
“……”
[You didn’t just grab some random junk from your personal storage, did you?]
The fact that Noah was insisting I test it made me suspicious.
[What do you think?]
[Why are you like this…]
Is this really an Invisibility Necklace?
At this point, I felt like I needed to check it out myself.
‘Well… since it’s a gift…’
Technically, from an ancient god, not a person.
I glanced between the message window and the necklace before finally putting it around my neck.
Then, I tapped the gemstone twice.
A strange sensation spread from head to toe.
‘Did it work?’
I stepped toward the mirror.
“……!”
I was standing right in front of it, yet there was nothing reflected.
Even my shadow had vanished.
‘So it doesn’t erase my presence, but it does remove my shadow.’
This could be really useful if I ever needed to escape.
‘Or… I could sell it?’
That was a thought.
My mouth practically watered at the idea.
‘If I don’t need it, I could keep it and use it as my ticket to independence…’
Just then, another message popped up.
[Ah, I forgot to mention. That necklace is a bound item.]
“…?”
What the hell does that mean?
[※Bound Item※]
[Wait…]
[It’s not that you can’t take it off. But once you wear it, the necklace recognizes you as its owner. No one else will be able to use it.]
‘You forgot to mention that?’
This felt less like forgetting and more like an intentional omission.
It was way too suspicious.
Did he lie because he couldn’t, or did he just do it on purpose?
[You could’ve just said, ‘Don’t even think about selling it.’]
[You might’ve agreed now, but you’d find an excuse to sell it later.]
He was irritatingly accurate about me.
‘An ancient god messing with a mere human…’
Honestly, I was a little pissed that I fell for it.
I hadn’t expected this kind of trick from him.
[No need to be so bitter.]
[Yeah, yeah, whatever.]
Fine.
He went out of his way to get me something, so I’ll appreciate it.
I smiled faintly at the message window.
[Thanks for the gift.]
[This is my birthday present to you.]
Not to Sean, but to me, the one who possessed Sean’s body.
“…Ahem.”
Clearing my throat, I tapped the gemstone once.
My reflection flickered back into the mirror.
‘This is actually pretty cool.’
This will definitely come in handy if I ever need to escape.
Hopefully, I won’t have to use it, but who knows how things will turn out.
[Anyway, happy birthday. I suppose I’m the last one to wish you that.]
“Pfft…!”
I don’t understand why the order of congratulations matters so much.
[If we’re being precise, you were actually the first and last person to wish me a happy birthday.]
[Does it really work that way?]
Noah responded nonchalantly, as if he truly didn’t know, before throwing an unexpected question my way.
[But why couldn’t you wake up earlier?]
Was he talking about when I briefly fell asleep and had that dream?
[You mean I couldn’t wake up back then?]
[Yeah. Your personal maid kept shaking you, but you didn’t react at all. If that guy hadn’t passed by at the right time, things would’ve gotten noisy around here.]
When I woke up to Raizen’s voice and saw Mila’s expression behind him, I had a hunch—but I guess that was the answer.
‘Did I really… not wake up?’
Recalling the dream sent chills down my spine.
I rubbed the back of my neck, about to explain what I had seen, but then I hesitated.
Instead, I raised my arm, the one with the bracelet Raizen had given me.
[What is it?]
[I’ll tell you why, but first, can you check if there’s any kind of eavesdropping magic on this?]
Noah was the very person who had first created magic.
If anyone could figure out this artifact’s functions, it would be him.
His answer didn’t come right away.
I grew increasingly anxious while waiting, but I stayed quiet and patient.
How long had it been?
[There’s no special function. However, it contains his magic, and that magic activates when you’re in life-threatening danger.]
[Ah… Thank you.]
Was the brief pause because he was examining the artifact?
Since he answered without hesitation, I went ahead and explained my dream.
[You only heard his voice?]
[Yes.]
[…I see. Got it.]
Noah then sent a message saying it was late and I should go wash up and sleep.
I nodded, pulled the bell cord, and let Mila, who had been waiting, help me get ready for bed.
Once I lay down, Mila tucked the blanket snugly under my chin and gently stroked my hair.
I almost flinched in surprise.
“Young Master, did you have a happy day today?”
Her eyes were filled with warmth and kindness as she looked at me.
‘Was I happy…?’
It was the first time in my life someone had asked me that.
My mind went blank for a moment.
I didn’t really know what happiness was.
I had a vague idea that it must be something different from just feeling enjoyment.
Meeting Mila’s gaze in silence, I finally spoke.
“Mila.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“What exactly does it mean to be happy?”
For a brief second, she smiled sadly before stroking my hair again.
“To be honest, I don’t know the exact answer either. But happiness is just… happiness.”
“…Huh?”
“I can’t explain it clearly in words, but when the moment comes, you just know. You’ll think, ‘Ah, I’m happy right now.’ At least, that’s how it is for me.”
“I see…”
Maybe it was because of her gentle touch, but drowsiness started creeping in.
With a slightly dazed mind, I thought to myself.
“I… don’t really know yet…”
If Mila was right, then I was someone who had never known happiness.
Even in my old world, I couldn’t recall a moment where I truly thought, ‘I’m happy.’
‘Maybe… the times I spent with my brother.’
But those memories were almost entirely overshadowed by the emptiness that followed.
I had been happy, but in the end, it all came to an end.
“It’s okay. From now on, we can make good memories together.”
“…”
“I hope today was the beginning of that.”
‘Today…’
For some reason, I laughed.
Today. At first, it had been strange and overwhelming.
Everything was for me, and yet, at the same time, it wasn’t.
But at some point, I stopped thinking about it and just enjoyed it.
Naturally so.
Everyone had smiled at me, celebrated my birthday—how could I not feel good?
And then, I saw my brother in my dream.
When I woke up, everything felt foreign again.
I had really fallen into an unfamiliar world, and that realization made me a little cynical.
But it was only for a moment.
“The bunny family… was nice.”
The warmth of people who willingly called me family.
The unfamiliar but not unwelcome sense of belonging.
“Have sweet dreams, Young Master.”
Mila’s voice was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep.
* * *
