Chapter 4: 4

* * *

Socialization training.

This was training meant to help Trees who lived only in the Forest adapt to the outside world, and it usually started after they had awakened their abilities.

However, it was also a place to showcase products before they were sold to noble families.

Today, Heinrich participated in the salon where the highest nobles of the Axelferion Empire gathered.

The silver-haired Heinrich, who wore a children’s frock coat and a luxurious shirt, had a lovely appearance.

“You are a very beautiful boy. Do you possess a lot of magic?”

The Marquis of Hilberg, with a swallow’s mustache, looked at Heinrich and asked.

“Heinrich is the only special level 1 Tree in our forest, Marquis.”

The socialization manager of the trees, Julius, responded very politely. But there was a sense of pride that could not be hidden in his tone and expression.

“His magical potential is so powerful that it is difficult for his young body to control it. That’s why he wears this magic suppressor.”

Suddenly, Julius put his hand on the earring, and Heinrich slightly flinched and shifted his head. Annoyance flashed across his face for a moment, but it was only for a moment.

In the salon, Heinrich, strangely, did not frown once. As if faithful to the role of ‘a good and talented child’.

“Very interesting, very interesting… He’s the perfect age to be the youngest in our family.”

Heinrich seemed to like him so much, so Marquis Hilberg gently stroked the boy’s head.

“…”

Henrich didn’t answer. Instead, he quietly accepted his hand and smiled.

* * *

“This is unfortunate. Damn it!”

Heinrich, who came out of the salon and got into the carriage, let the temper he had been holding back explode.

As if tired, the boy placed the back of his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes.

“Why did you touch me?”

He really hated being touched by anyone.

Only one person’s touch was allowed by the boy. Annette.

“I feel tired. Let’s go back to the Forest right now.”

Julius smiled softly as he looked at the boy with deep blue eyes under long blond hair.

“There is still one place left, Heinrich.”

“I showed up here and there like a beast in a pet shop for two weeks! I am exhausted.”

Unlike the other children in the forest, Heinrich had a lot of nobles who were interested in him.

Trees were classified into 9 levels according to their awakening ability, but Heinrich was currently the only level 1 tree.

That was not all. He was also a special level 1, with the emphasis on ‘special’.

A higher level means higher potential.

The nobles, of course, wanted the most talented child to be their trophy.

“I told you the schedule wasn’t over yet, Heinrich.”

Julius smiled softly, but there somehow seemed to be a threat.

Heinrich’s breathing, which was rough like a cat that had touched the water, became quiet.

Instead, the boy gently lifted his eyelids. The purple eyes shone brightly from the thin folds. The boy whispered softly.

“Is it okay if I get hurt?”

“…….”

Julius’s expression stiffened for a moment.

What memory did he recall?

The last socialization training that ended in blood.

He was the one who felt extreme shame from the situation that ruined the precious first-level financial resources.

Julius’ face softened again.

“…If you don’t like it that much, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Then he looked straight ahead and said to the driver.

“The destination is the Forest. Let’s just go back.”

“Yes!”

At that moment, along with the driver’s loud answer, the sound of horse hooves erupted with ease.

The boy rolled his eyes from the back seat with a tired face.

‘Annette, I miss you.’

It was the first time he hadn’t seen her in such a long time since he got to know her.

The last two weeks have been such a terrible time. Tired and exhausted, Heinrich wanted to do just one thing as soon as he returned to the forest.

To hold Annette in his arms and smell her.

It was Heinrich’s favorite thing to do.

However–

Returning to the forest after two weeks, Heinrich witnessed a shocking sight.

Annette was holding the hand of a dirty boy.

It wasn’t right.

The feeling of betrayal was as if he fought a two-year war with blood, sweat and tears, only to return and discover his wife had an affair and was holding another man’s hand.

Although, he was only an 11-year-old child. And it wasn’t even a war, he was only half the height of a grown man.

Anyway, Annette laughed so brightly in such a serious situation.

“It’s a new friend! Say hello, Heinrich.”

Heinrich’s inner self made another sort of face.

‘…Friend? Who wants to be friends?’

‘What a beast-like bastard.’

He just felt bad upon meeting the red eyes under the black hair.

It must have been dirty in the first place, but it feels bad to just wipe it off and pretend it’s dry.

Unlike his beanpod view of Annette, Sislin did not live up to Heinrch’s standard of hygiene.(T/N: ‘콩깍’ beanpod is a symbol of human’s eyes due to its size. Covered by bean pods meant he can’t see anything as he’s blinded by love.)

Though he wasn’t dirty or even unclean…

Heinrich frowned. He was just jealous of the two of them holding hands.

“It’s dirty. Savage.”

* * *

Squeak.

Suddenly, a loud sound rang in my ear.

It was the sound of Heinrich raising his doom flag.

‘It’s worse than dirty!’

‘It’s even worse than the original?!’

I couldn’t believe it.

‘How can you say such a thing to such a cute baby?’

I looked at Sislin with trembling pupils (probably fully covered by bean pods).

Then I said to Heinrich with an almost teary face.

“…You can’t say such bad things, Heinrich.”

Such a scary mouth.

Even in the original story, Heinrich’s attitude and way of speaking was always rude and arrogant, which always stimulated Sislin and caused even more ruin.

When I read it as a novel, to be honest, I really liked characters of that kind.

I was drawn to arrogant and rude characters.

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But–

It was hard to see my favorite steadily earning ‘future pain’ right in front of my eyes.

“I’m not friends with filthy bastards.”

Ah. Please, stop it.

But that damned chihuahua didn’t know how to kill his temper.

Only Heinrich was smirking; then finally, he approached and pushed Sislin.

“My sister is mine, go away.”

“Heinrich!”

I thought about it and stopped him.

During this time, Heinrich pretty much monopolized me in the Forest. It was always my responsibility to take care of Heinrich, who was particularly sensitive and picky and had the tendency to hide his face from everyone.

Was that why?

Heinrich looked like an angry boss cat seeing a new cat coming into his territory.

Since it was Sislin, who had low self-esteem and was an introvert, he would probably be shocked by Heinrich’s behavior.

‘I can’t…’

However, my expectations and Sislin’s reaction were completely different.

Sislin wasn’t pushed back, rather he held my hand tighter and looked at Heinrich.

Then he asked quietly, blinking his ruby-red eyes.

“Why is Annette yours?”

“…”

When Sislin asked the question too calmly, for a moment, Heinrich seemed to be speechless, unlike his usual confident self.

“…That, that!”

Heinrich’s ears turned red.

“Because I’m going to marry Sister when I grow up!”

I was surprised when I heard it.

I didn’t agree to that!

Sislin looked at Heinrich motionlessly no matter how much he ‘nyan-nyanged’ in front of him.(T/N: likening him to a hissing cat.)

Then he calmly responded.

“Usually, sisters and brothers can’t get married to each other.”

“…!”

Heinrich’s purple eyes blinked in shock.

He blinked as if there had been a brief cognitive dissonance. Then he hurriedly grabbed my sleeve and asked seriously.

“Sister, is that true?  If I call you sister, we won’t be able to get married?”

“…Uh, well.”

I shifted my eyes in embarrassment.

‘Children, do you think that’s the only reason we can’t get married?’

When I didn’t give a clear answer, Heinrich turned the arrow, hurriedly pointing at Sislin with his index finger.

“But why doesn’t that bastard call you Sister? He must be younger than 12!”

In the woods, my age, 12, was the oldest.

I was only ten fingers plus two, but I was the oldest here.

And Sislin and Heinrich were 11 years old each.

‘Hmm, that protest is justified.’

He just called me Annette, and I enjoyed hearing it, so I left it alone… If you insist on such injustice…

For the sake of peace, this part needs to be sorted out.

“Heinrich is right. It would be better for Sislin to call me ‘sister’.”

Sislin looked at me with his red eyes through black hair. Then, he gently buried his head that smelled good on my shoulder and closed his eyes.

He whispered in a voice sweet as a ripe berry, his face blushing.

“Sister…”

In an instant, my face glowed like cherry candy. Crazy, he would seduce all the ‘noonas’ in the world.

‘So cute. Our baby.’

Heinrich, who had been looking at him, finally sat down on his seat and burst out in anger.

“…Hey, just call her the way you used to!!!”

* * *

I managed to soothe Heinrich, who was not able to overcome his temper, and sent him down to the living room.

He made a fuss when parting with me, till I said, “I’ll put you to bed today, I promise.” 

Heinrich particularly liked the way I put him to sleep, so he asked me over and over again, “Really?”

Then he looked back and left the room like a cat leaving behind a delicious fish.

“Whew…”

I thought that something great had happened.

I pat Sislin’s shoulder and whisper.

“He talks like that, but he has a good heart.”

Even though he was mean towards you in the original.

“It’s because there are so many wounds in his heart, like you, Sislin.”

If he had only received love when growing up, he wouldn’t have become such a jealous personality.

I understand all of Heinrich’s narrative, but from Sislin’s point of view, he would view him as a very mean child.

‘First impressions of each other turned out to be the worst. How do I go about doing this?’

As I was thinking deeply, Sislin, who was still sitting in the chair, asked me.

“Annette… Heinrich, do you like him?

“Yes.”

In response to my answer that was without hesitation, Sislin slowly lowered his eyes and spoke with a darkened face.

“…I see.”

It was then.

Tachak—

A presence was heard outside the door.

Uh, that’s weird? The only people who knew about this room were me, Sislin, and Heinrich.

Did Heinrich return?

I walked slowly, opened the door, and looked out into the hallway.

Shasha-sak—

Then I quickly saw a shadow spinning around the corner of the hallway, and I swallowed my saliva.

“Heinrich?”

No reply returned.

‘This is not a place to stay for long.’

No matter how spacious the mansion was, there were surprisingly little places to hide. There were a lot of children and there were a lot of eyes, so if you stayed in one place for a long time, you could be caught at any time.

It had only been a few days, but it would be safer to move.

‘In three days, I have to decide where to hide Sislin.’

I thought further and quickly shook my head.

‘No. The sooner the better… Yes, we’re moving tomorrow.’

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