Mirabe sidled over to the sideboard and poured herself a ss of water. Taking a sip, she finally drawled a rejection. “Let’s not bother with it, shall we?”


    Throwing a party equaled spending money. Inviting guests equaled spending money.


    Shawn, who had already made a mental guest list and even picked out the venue, was taken aback when his daughter declined. He looked up at her<b>, </b>perplexed. “Ah, why not?”


    Leaning casually against the wall, Mirabe said, “It was just a <b>minor </b>contest, not worth splurging on.” In other words, spending money to celebrate apetition without prize money was just a loss.


    Shawn opened his mouth to exin, “Darling, our family isn’t exactly…” short on cash.


    Mirabe raised her hand mid–air, cutting him off seriously. “Dad, we should keep a low profile.”


    The corners of Shawn’s mouth twitched in response. Once upon a time, it was Shawn who preached understatement, but now these words echoed from his daughter’s lips. It was oddly disheartening.


    Mirabe had already turned and made her way to the dining room, leaving Shawn alone on the couch, his emotions tangled like a knotted ne. It felt like having a treasure you wanted to show off, yet you had to keep it hidden away–a real downer.


    When breakfast time came around, Zach and Leo descended the stairs one after the other. Leo headed over, greeted everyone, and then naturally took his usual spot next to his sister.


    Zach, witnessing this, grimaced slightly. Talk about brotherly love! He also sat down for breakfast.


    Mirabe took a sip of milk and then nced at Leo. She noticed hisplexion was fair, and the toxins in his body hadn’t spread. It seemed he had heeded her advice and taken his medicine.


    “Why are you staring, Mira?” Leo blinked, his curly hair and groggy expression making him look adorably clueless.


    Suppressing the urge to ruffle his hair, Mirabe lowered her head to nibble on a bagel, “It’s nothing.”


    “Oh,” Leo sounded a bit disappointed, having hoped his sister wouldpliment his good looks for the day.


    After Mirabe polished off thest bite of her bagel and wiped her mouth clean with a napkin, she pulled out a small ss vial, no bigger than a shot of cough syrup, from her jacket pocket and ced it by Leo’s hand.


    Leo paused before picking up the bottle. “What’s this?”


    <b>10:45 </b>


    Zach, sitting across from them, looked on curiously.


    Mirabe raised an eyebrow. “I’ve noticed you’ve been quite heated uptely, so I got you this. cooling detox remedy.”


    Leo eyed thebel–less vial, which did not quite resemble the detox concoctions found in


    stores.


    “Mirabe, I’m feeling hot too. Do I get one?” chimed in Zach, feeling a tad left out.


    With a twitch of her lips and a half–smile, Mirabe shot him a nce. “I could give you an acupuncture session.”


    Zach hastily shook his head. “I’ll pass.” Mirabe’s smile in these situations was always somewhat terrifying.


    Leo had already unscrewed the cap and sniffed the vial. There was a faint scent of herbs, nothing overbearing.


    Leaning back in her chair, Mirabe rested an arm on the table edge, her posture ck but her presence somehow imposing. Leo nced at her, recalling thest time he neglected to take her prescribed remedy and the stern look she gave him. Cautiously, he asked, “Do I just drink it like this?”


    “Yeah,” Mirabe answered softly, her gleaming eyeszy yet piercing.