Morning sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains, falling across the sleeping boy's face. Albert had yet to wake, but he soon would be.
The door of the second-floor room beside the stairs was quietly pushed open. A brown-haired girl poked her head inside, her large brown eyes fixed on the boy still asleep in bed. She called softly, "Albert, time to get up."
When the boy showed no reaction, the girl pouted in dissatisfaction, pushed the door open, and walked in. A British Shorthair Cat followed behind her.
"Tom, I'm counting on you." The girl placed the shorthair on the bed, gently picked up its tail, and brushed it across the boy's face twice.
Still half-asleep, Albert reached up and pushed the cat's tail away from his face. He opened his eyes, looked at his mischievous sister, covered a yawn with one hand, and greeted her, "Good morning, Nia!"
"Dad said he's taking us to London today." Nia blinked as she looked at Albert. "We're going to get your Eton College uniform tailored and buy the things on the list."
"Okay, got it. I'll get changed." Albert covered another yawn, picked up the shorthair that was stretching its paws across the sheets, set it on the floor, stretched lazily, and began changing. After washing up, he headed to the living room for breakfast.
"Stayed up late again last night?" Daisy placed a hearty breakfast on Albert's plate.
"Son, we'd better get moving. Today's schedule is pretty packed." Herb spread the letter Eton College had sent a few days earlier across the table, his face full of proud smiles.
As everyone knew, private schools in England were where elites were cultivated, and Eton College stood among the very best. To enter that school, one needed two things: talent and