Chapter 60 - Surprise 1
[Seraphina’s POV]
Before we began eating, I looked toward Amy with a gentle smile.
"So, how was your day, Amy?"
Amy immediately grinned.
"It was surprisingly good, Mom."
"I ate lots of cupcakes today."
"They were delicious."
As she spoke, she deliberately looked toward Gray with a mischievous smile.
Almost instantly, Gray puffed out his cheeks and glared at her with an adorable expression of indignation.
...
His cuteness was truly dangerous.
I almost reached over to pinch his cheeks.
As expected, Gray immediately protested.
"See, Mom?"
"Amy’s a glutton."
"She ate every single cupcake without even leaving me one!"
Amy’s smirk only widened.
"Not my problem."
"They were delicious, so I ate them all."
"Hmph."
She proudly lifted her chin.
Watching the two of them bicker like this always brightened my day.
No matter how tired I became from work...
Seeing my children laugh and argue over such trivial things somehow washed away all of my exhaustion.
After a while, I asked them about today’s training.
Although Astrid had already told me most of what had happened, hearing my children describe everything in their own words always felt different.
Gray suddenly brightened.
"Oh, right!"
"Mom, I finally created a proper perception skill."
"It lets me perceive the surrounding space."
"And judging from its name..."
"I think it’ll eventually be able to perceive different dimensions too."
I quietly looked at him.
Now I finally understood why Astrid had called him a little monster.
Most people would have been satisfied after creating an ordinary perception skill.
But my son...
He was already thinking about what it could become in the future.
Even though it was still in its earliest stage...
He was already planning how to evolve it.
I never once doubted his words.
Gray had many qualities...
He was mischievous.
Sometimes a little too clever for his own good.
And occasionally he liked showing off in front of Amy.
But one thing he had never done...
Was lie.
Nor had he ever exaggerated his own achievements.
If Gray said his skill possessed such potential...
Then it almost certainly did.
A warm smile naturally appeared on my face.
Ever since he was little...
Gray had always possessed a kind heart.
Despite being born with overwhelming talent, wealth, and status...
He had never once looked down on anyone.
He never envied others.
He never boasted simply because he was gifted.
Perhaps...
That was exactly why Amy had gradually become so cheerful after spending time with him.
Just then, Amy spoke again.
"Hmph."
"You’ve created so many amazing skills already..."
"But you’ve never shown us your status window."
She folded her arms dramatically.
"What?"
"Are you afraid your amazing big sister will steal your skills or something?"
Gray immediately snorted.
"Hmph."
"Who’s afraid?"
"Here."
"I’ll show you."
Without hesitation, he opened his status window for both of us to see.
I had been curious about his growth for quite some time.
So I carefully looked over it.
...
...
For a brief moment...
My thoughts completely stopped.
This...
Was the status window of an eight-year-old child?
The more I read...
The more unbelievable it became.
His attributes.
His affinities.
His growth-type skills.
Even I...
Hadn’t been anywhere near this monstrous at his age.
Astrid hadn’t exaggerated at all.
Among children of Gray’s generation...
I couldn’t imagine anyone capable of matching him.
My gaze slowly moved toward the names of his unique skills.
Devour.
Dimensional Awareness.
Both names alone hinted at extraordinary potential.
Especially Dimensional Awareness.
After hearing Gray explain its effects...
I realized it wasn’t merely a perception skill.
It was an ability capable of enhancing nearly everything he did.
Spell creation.
Mana control.
Swordsmanship.
Combat awareness.
Teleportation.
Every single one of them benefited from this single skill.
What an incredible child...
Before I could finish my thoughts, Amy spoke again.
"Seriously..."
"How do you keep creating these ridiculous skills?"
"I’ve created plenty of spells myself, and every single one took weeks—sometimes even months—to perfect."
She folded her arms and pouted.
"But you..."
"You disappear into your own little world for a few hours, then come back with another Growth-Type skill."
"Your elements are completely cheating."
Gray puffed out his chest proudly.
"Hmph! Do you finally see my greatness, my annoying sister?"
He smirked at Amy.
Then he quickly realized what he had said.
"...I mean, my amazing sister."
Amy’s eyes twitched.
"Who are you calling annoying, you brat?!"
Before Gray could react, Amy immediately hit him.
Watching them argue as usual, I couldn’t help but smile.
Even after gaining incredible abilities and talents far beyond their age, they were still just my children.
Still the same Gray and Amy.
The two of them continued bickering throughout dinner, but soon the meal came to an end.
After saying good night to me, both of them returned to their rooms.
I watched them leave with a gentle smile before returning to my own work.
As usual...
The documents waiting for me never seemed to end.
Family matters.
Clan affairs.
Various internal issues that required my attention.
Time passed without me noticing.
Before I realized it, the night had already grown late.
Eventually, the clock reached midnight.
At this hour, no one should have disturbed me.
So when I heard a knock on my office door, I was slightly surprised.
"Enter."
The door slowly opened.
I expected a servant with some urgent matter.
But what appeared before me...
Completely froze me.
Gray.
Amy.
And Astrid.
All three of them entered my office together.
Gray and Amy were holding something carefully between them.
A beautiful chocolate cake.
For a moment, my mind stopped processing.
Then, the two of them smiled brightly and spoke at the same time.
"Happy birthday, Mom!"
Behind them, Astrid stood with a small smile.
...
I remained completely still.
My birthday?
For a moment, I couldn’t understand what they meant.
I had completely forgotten.
Over the years, birthdays had become something I rarely celebrated.
My only true celebration was when I could spend time with my children.
Everything else felt unnecessary.
Yet now...
They had remembered.
They had prepared something for me.
And they had come all the way here just to celebrate.
I looked at the three of them standing before me.
All wearing small party hats.
Even Astrid.
The sight was so unexpected that it almost felt comical.
The strongest knight I knew was standing there wearing a party hat alongside my children.
But more than anything...
It warmed my heart.
Gray and Amy carefully approached my desk and looked for a place without any documents covering it.
Once they found one, they placed the cake down gently.
Then they prepared the candles and encouraged me to make a wish.
I stared at them silently.
I had faced countless battles.
I had handled complicated political situations.
I had solved problems that could affect the future of the entire Starlight Family.
Yet...
At this moment...
My mind completely froze.
Because this simple surprise from my children was something I had never expected.