Chapter 43: CH 43

‘Ugh, you’re laughing?!’

‘Heuk-heuk, I insulted you out loud, so why are you laughing? It’s even scarier!’

My eyes were widening to a laughter that I couldn’t understand, but a terrifyingly low voice came out later.

[You are right.]

For a moment, my spine stood still.

[I will probably be the worst kind of father who abuses children.]

“……!!!”

H-Huh? I think the fastball I just threw came back to me?

In the first place, adopting a child with the intention of abuse?

‘What is with this crazy villain?!’

The voice that spoke was still so gentle that it gave me goosebumps.

‘What the hell are you going to do to me after adopting me?’

It was at the time when I was slowly questioning his intentions.

[But Annette… You are a pitiful young girl, a wretchedly feeble girl.]

“……”

[If I forcibly adopt you and take away the cigarette case… What can you do?]

“……!!!”

‘No, look at this bastard, he’s just going all out.’

‘Now that the truth has been revealed, there is no need to act?’

But when I heard the laughing voice that followed, I realized it.

[What can you do?]

He was ignoring me to begin with.

He was treating me like a helpless bug that could do nothing.

Unconsciously, my fists were clenched tightly.

‘He’s a human being that I really can’t get along with.’

So, is it my turn now?

“Then, Prince.”

I looked up at the parchment as if Gerard’s face was in front of me, and raised the corners of my lips boldly.

“What if I ‘accidentally’ lose the case?”

[…What?]

‘As the prince said, I am a young and fragile 12-year-old, so I make a lot of mistakes.’

I put my hands together and deliberately made an innocent expression like an apologetic hamster.

“So perhaps— It might be carelessly lost, in a place where no one could find it ‘forever’? The Prince’s most precious thing!”

[…You dare!!!]

When I finished speaking, I smiled.

‘Look at how loud his voice became at once.’

My heart was refreshed upon seeing that the composure he had maintained while pretending to be gentle was broken.

‘You’re not the only one who knows how to make threats?’

‘Don’t I have your oh-so precious thing in my hands?’

‘In such a case, if you ignore your opponent, you can become screwed, Prince.’

‘You should learn about life.’

[……]

He didn’t know the basics of negotiation that even a 12-year-old knew. Tsk tsk.

Gerard did not answer for a long time.

But soon, he answered with a calm breath.

[…Good night. I’ll consider your proposal and let you know when the sun is up.]

Still, he was a cool-headed person.

I didn’t stay excited for long, and I chose the best in my current situation without being swayed.

Anyway, my offer to negotiate was accepted, so this conversation was a clear win for me.

I nodded politely— I bowed my head. Then put the victor’s leisure into the corners of my lips.

“Thank you, Prince. Then I’ll wait and I hope you get a positive answer!”

It was a pretty neat finish.

***

The next day, the dining room.

The children were at war in front of a diet composed of raw vegetables.

Of course, there were people who were happy even during the war.

“Wow, this is my favorite salad!”

Sasha bit a piece of grass the size of a pellet with a happy face, then poured jelly into her fist sized mouth and happily chewed it.

I looked at the scene with cloudy eyes.

“As expected, salad is delicious!”

Sasha, wouldn’t even the street lamp be delicious if you eat it in that proportion…?

“I lwike shalwd too (I like salad too).”

Julien ate the little leaves. Every time he ate, his plump cheeks shook.

Sasha, who was eating jelly with three pieces of salad, asked Julien.

“Ung, but Julien, what is that bag?”

“It’s!”

Julien excitedly shook his bag. It was a bag with the design of a squirrel carrying a giant acorn.

“I lwike thish squiwel bag! Anet gawe it to miu (I like this squirrel bag! Annette gave it to me).”

Julien looked at me with his large sky-blue eyes. The twinkling eyes were harmless enough to make me feel at ease.

“Thank you, Annette!”

“You’re welcome, Julien!”

I smiled and respectfully greeted the adorable boy. Then came a yawn, “Ahhhh.”

‘Ahh, I couldn’t sleep yesterday, so I’m really sleepy.’

It was clear that a child’s body was more vulnerable to drowsiness than an adult.

Even though my favorite cream bun came out today, I kept nodding off. I rested my head on my chin as I ate the bread and thought.

Actually, yesterday—

I asked him just in the nick of time before the crow withdrew.

“By the way, I also want to ask you one last question. Prince… Why did you decide to adopt me?”

‘Why me?’

I was known for being a non-awakened child, and apart from my sincere attitude, there was nothing special about me.

There were many children in the Forest with higher grades than me.

It was nothing more than that.

If the prince said he wanted to adopt a child, perhaps even nobles would just give away their own children even if they were born of good blood. Like…

My child is going to become an imperial family member!

“…There must be many more suitable children in the Empire than me.”

Gerard replied briefly.

[It has to be you. I’m not interested in other kids.]

This was a line usually said by the male lead in novels.

But why was he saying it…?

If my ideal dad had said something like that, I would have been very excited, but I was horrified to hear such a thing from an aspiring bad dad who had no respect for the elderly at all.

‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know why.’

By now, the prince must be in great agony. 

Whether to accept my offer or not. 

However, there would be no other option.

‘It’s a very valuable item, so he wouldn’t dare make a fuss in the Forest.’

As it would then be noisy.

Precious things could sometimes become weaknesses.

Whether it’s a person or a thing.

In particular, it would be fatal to an imperial family member in such a high position like Gerard.

‘He’ll want to hide it as much as possible.’

‘So it’s clear that he won’t be able to do radical actions like suddenly attacking the Forest.’

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Truthfully, when I sent the card to Gerard, I had already finished calculating this part.

In the end, he would have no choice but to ponder about my proposal…

‘What will he choose?’

I was curious and subtly intrigued, and I raised the corners of my lips slightly wickedly.

“Sister, why aren’t you eating?”

“Yes?”

When I suddenly raised my head at the voice calling me, Heinrich narrowed his eyes.

“It’s your favorite cream bread. Why aren’t you eating it as usual? What are you worried about?”

I shook my head in surprise.

“No, I don’t have a problem. I’m eating well.”

Then, as soon as I finished speaking, I ate the fluffy cream bread.

‘I can’t let the children find out I’m worried about my adoption. Never.’

“……”

Heinrich looked at me with his purple eyes narrowed.

Sislin alternated his gaze between Heinrich and I. 

Feeling a sense of crisis in front of the quick-witted kids, I smiled as naturally as possible while holding the plate.

“Oh well~ I left something behind, and so I’ll stop by the dormitory for a while. Eat well, guys.”

“Gwudbywu Annette (Goodbye Annette).”

“You have to come back later~”

“Yes.”

I waved to Julien and Sasha cheerfully and left quickly.

***

“Phew, I think I know what it means by ‘you can’t even drink water carelessly in front of babies’.”

Everyone was surprisingly quick to catch on.

Especially about me.

“That’s why I hope it will be finished as soon as possible.”

‘Why hasn’t he contacted me?’

It was at that time when I entered the dormitory, wondering if I was too impatient to expect an answer right after breakfast.

“……!!!”

“Who is it? An intruder?”‘

My bed and locker were all in a mess.

As if a thief went through it.

“……Caw!”

Just then, a clever-looking crow grabbed my key and opened the treasury (drawer) and, as if startled, it dropped the key.

Oh, I know this crow!

“You… Prince Gerard sent you?!’

There was a strong barrier around this mansion that prevented intruders from entering, but there was one exception.

It was the carrier bird (sometimes not necessarily a bird, but some other animal) sent by the nobles.

Because the El Dorado nobles wanted to confirm the knowledge and character of the tree they were interested in by exchanging letters at any time.

So everyone was allowed to enter the Forest garden, but only the little animals carrying letters were allowed to enter the mansion.

He was aiming for it.

‘How dare he get a speechless little beast to do such a naughty thing!’

But considering it was a beast who was unable to speak, the expression on the crow’s face… It was, like, pretty mean. As if it knew exactly what was going on.

“…Caw.”

Sneakily— The crow glanced at me and picked up the key again.

‘What?’

That was a sight I had seen somewhere before.

Yes, when I turned on the light to go to the kitchen at night to get some water, I ran into a cockroach.

‘But this situation is like the cockroach is watching me…!’

‘It needs to be punished.’

I quietly picked up the pillow.

And.

Woong! I advanced and started swinging the pillow.

“Caw?!”

Phut– phut! The beaten bird dropped the key and wore a stupid expression for a moment.

“Naughty crows need a spanking, a spanking!”

Phut!

“Caw!?!!”

Phut!

“Caaaaw!?”

The crow flew out of the window and frantically stumbled down — staggering down, then fled again, flapping its wings.

‘Wow, I kicked it out.’

My stuff, nothing’s missing, right?

I quickly opened the treasure chest drawer with the key.

There were my treasures.

A soap bubble stick, a teddy bear made with Sasha, and even a lid of a can from Julien.

Fortunately, none was lost and everything was safe.

‘Aren’t you looking down on me too much, Prince?’

Of course, rather than looking down—

‘There must have been no other way.’

It must be like catching straws.

‘I’m sorry, but this straw is rotten?’

The cigarette case wasn’t here.

Gerard would never know, I hid it in an unimaginable place!

I headed straight to the classroom.

Just then, I saw Julien walking down the hallway.

“Julien!”

–Ppojak?

When Julien looked back at me, he approached me with a laugh, “Hehe.”

“Annette! Are you going to class?”

“Yes! Wait a minute. Will you come and turn around?”

“Okie.”

I pulled the cigarette case out of the squirrel bag (the secret space inside the king-sized acorn that the squirrel is holding).

‘Haha, it’s all right.’

This ‘moving shiny safe’ was quite suitable for hiding things.

To begin with, a harmless child like Julien was less likely to be suspected, and, realistically, even if one went through the squirrel bag, the acorn was just decoration and did not look like a storage space.

‘Originally it was just a decoration, but through my handiwork, I remodeled it. Whoo-hoo!’

‘It’s worth it.’

I rubbed my nose and smiled wickedly.

I suddenly wondered.

‘Now, how will Gerard respond?’

That afternoon.

Gerard’s reply came from the Imperial Palace.

He seemed to have realized that dirty tricks wouldn’t work.

Gulp–

‘What would he say?’

About my proposal.

I took a deep breath and opened the card to check the contents.

Then my eyes widened.

“…This.”

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