Chapter 4
Socialization Training.
It is a training program designed to help the Trees living solely within "The Forest" adapt to the outside world, usually beginning after one awakens their ability.
In reality, however, it was also a venue to showcase products before they were sold off to noble families.
Today, Heinri attended a salon where the highest-ranking nobles of the Eldorado Empire gathered.
Dressed in a child’s frock coat with a luxurious shirt, his silver hair styled and his violet eyes gleaming, Heinri looked absolutely adorable.
"What a remarkably beautiful boy. I hear his latent mana is immense, too?"
The Marquis of Hilberg, sporting a swallow-tail mustache, said as he looked at Heinri.
"Heinri is the only Special Level 1 Tree in our Forest, Marquis."
Julius, the person in charge of the Trees' socialization, answered very politely. Yet, his tone and expression were laced with unmistakable pride.
"His latent mana is so powerful that it is difficult for his young body to control it. That is why he wears this 'Mana Suppressor'."
With a subtle touch, Julius reached for the earring, causing Heinri to flinch and pull his head away. A flash of annoyance crossed his face, but it lasted only for a moment.
At the salon, Heinri behaved admirably, not once knitting his brow. As if he were fully committed to the role of a "kind and talented child."
"Very interesting, truly interesting... He is at the perfect age to be brought in as the youngest of my house."
Seemingly quite taken with him, the Marquis of Hilberg gently stroked the boy’s hair.
"……."
Heinri did not answer. Instead, he simply received the touch quietly and smiled.
* * *
"Disgusting. Damn it!"
Once he left the salon and climbed into the carriage, Heinri let out the temper he had been holding back.
The boy rested the back of his hand on his forehead as if exhausted and closed his eyes.
"Why the hell are they touching me?"
He had always hated being touched by anyone.
The only person whose touch the boy allowed was Annette.
"I’m tired. I want to go back to The Forest right now."
Julius looked at the boy with his deep blue eyes beneath long blonde hair and smiled softly.
"There is still one place left to go, Heinri."
"I’ve been paraded around like a beast in a pet shop for two weeks! I’m worn out."
Unlike the other children in The Forest, Heinri was highly sought after by many nobles.
Trees were classified into nine levels based on their awakened abilities, and Heinri was currently the only Level 1 Tree.
To make matters worse, he was a Special Level 1.
A higher level meant higher potential.
Naturally, the nobles wanted to display the most talented child as their trophy.
"I told you the schedule is not yet finished, Heinri."
Julius was smiling gently, but there was a hint of killing intent in his eyes.
Heinri, who had been acting like a cat splashed with water, quieted his breathing.
Instead, the boy slowly lifted his eyelids. His violet pupils shone vividly within his narrow eyes. The boy whispered softly.
"Is it okay if I get hurt?"
"……."
Julius’s expression stiffened for a moment.
He had recalled a certain memory.
The previous socialization training that had ended in a bloodbath.
He was the one who had felt extreme self-loathing at the outcome of ruining a precious Special Level 1 resource.
Julius’s facial features softened once again.
"……If you dislike it that much, I suppose it cannot be helped."
Soon, he sat facing forward and spoke to the coachman.
"The destination is The Forest. Let us return."
"Yes!"
Only then did the coachman’s booming reply erupt, followed by the cheerful sound of horse hooves.
The boy closed his eyes in the backseat with a weary face.
'Annette, I miss you.'
It was the first time he had been away from her for this long since he had come to know her.
The past two weeks had been a horrific time.
Exhausted and drained, Heinri wanted to do only one thing as soon as he returned to The Forest.
To be held in Annette’s arms and smell her scent.
It was Heinri’s favorite thing to do.
However—
Upon returning to The Forest after two weeks, Heinri witnessed a shocking sight.
Annette was holding the hand of some disheveled-looking boy.
That was not right.
He had endured a two-year-long war—or so it felt—of blood, sweat, and tears, only to feel a sense of betrayal as if his own wife were cheating on him by holding another man’s hand.
Even though he was just an eleven-year-old child. Even though he hadn't actually fought a war and was only half the height of an adult man.
Regardless, in this grave situation, Annette smiled far too brightly.
"He’s a new friend! Say hello, Heinri."
Her face showed no sign that she understood even a fraction of Heinri’s inner turmoil.
...A friend? Who gave you permission to be friends?
'What kind of beastly bastard is this?'
The red eyes beneath the black hair were looking at him, and it just felt unpleasant.
He looked like he had been dirty to begin with, and the fact that he had roughly cleaned himself up to pretend he was fresh was also irritating.
Contrary to Annette’s rose-tinted glasses, Sislein’s appearance did not meet Heinri’s standards of hygiene.
Though he wasn't exactly dirty or filthy...
Heinri scowled and muttered to himself. It was purely out of jealousy over the hands they were holding together.
"Filthy, damn it."
* * *
*Clack.*
For a moment, a sound rang intensely in my ears.
It was the sound of Heinri planting his own destruction flag.
'That’s even worse than calling him dirty!'
It’s ruined even more than in the original work?!
I can’t believe it.
'How can you say something like that to such a cute baby?'
I looked at Sislein with trembling pupils (likely heavily filtered by my own bias).
Then, with a face that looked like I was about to cry, I said to Heinri.
"……It’s not nice to say such mean things, Heinri."
That terrifying mouth of his.
Even in the original work, Heinri’s habit of speaking was consistently rude and his attitude arrogant, which always provoked Sislein and invited further ruin.
When I read it as a novel, I honestly liked that kind of prickly character.
Because I was drawn to arrogant and rude characters.
But—
It was hard to watch my favorite character diligently accumulating "future suffering" right before my eyes.
"I don’t befriend filthy bastards."
Ah. Please, stop.
But that foul-tempered Chihuahua didn't know how to suppress his temper.
Heinri huffed to himself before finally approaching and shoving Sislein.
"Older sister is mine, get lost."
"Heinri!"
I turned pale and tried to stop him.
All this time, Heinri had practically monopolized me in The Forest. It was always my job to look after Heinri, who was exceptionally sensitive, picky, and shy around everyone.
Was that why?
Heinri looked like a lead cat angry that a new cat had entered his territory.
If Sislein were the low-self-esteem, introverted character he was supposed to be, he would surely be shocked by Heinri’s behavior.
'This isn't good…….'
But Sislein’s reaction was completely different from my expectations.
Sislein didn't budge much, instead gripping my hand tighter and looking at Heinri.
Then, he asked quietly with his ruby-red eyes.
"Why is Annette yours?"
"……."
Unlike his own outburst, Sislein’s calm counter-question left Heinri momentarily speechless.
"……That, that is!"
Heinri’s ears turned red.
"Because I’m going to marry older sister when I grow up!"
I was startled as I listened.
That wasn't something we had agreed upon!
Sislein didn't flinch at all, no matter how much Heinri acted out, and just stared at him.
Then he calmly retorted.
"Siblings usually can't get married."
"……!"
Heinri’s violet pupils shook with shock.
He blinked as if he were experiencing cognitive dissonance for a moment. Then, he hurriedly grabbed my sleeve and asked seriously.
"Older sister, is that true? If I call you older sister, we can't get married?"
"……Uh, well, that is."
I rolled my eyes in distress.
Do you really think that’s the only reason we can’t get married, child?
When my answer wasn't clear, Heinri urgently pointed his index finger at Sislein and shifted the target.
"Then why doesn't that bastard call you older sister? He’s clearly younger than twelve!"
In The Forest, twelve was the oldest age.
It was an age that was just ten fingers plus two, but here, it was the oldest.
And Sislein and Heinri were both eleven, the same age.
'Hmm, that protest is valid.'
I had let it slide because it sounded nice when he called me just Annette, but... if he was going to argue about unfairness to this extent.
For the sake of peace, I needed to settle this.
"Heinri is right. Sislein, you should call me 'older sister' too."
Sislein looked at me steadily with his red eyes beneath his black hair.
Then, he obediently buried his head, which smelled pleasant, into my shoulder and closed his eyelids.
Sislein whispered with a flushed face and a voice as sweet as a ripe fruit.
"Older sister……."
For a moment, my face turned as red as a cherry candy. Damn, he has the potential to seduce every older sister in the world.
'So cute. Our baby.'
Watching that scene, Heinri finally slumped to the ground and burst into frustration.
"……Damn it, just tell him to call you what he used to!!!"
I managed to calm Heinri down as he huffed and puffed, unable to contain his frustration, and sent him back to the living quarters.
I even had to make a deal with him, promising, "I'll tuck you in tonight, I promise," when he threw a tantrum about not wanting to be separated from me.
Because Heinri was particularly fond of being tucked in by me, he asked, "You really mean it?" several times.
Only then did he leave the room, constantly looking back like a cat burying a tasty fish before heading off.
"Phew..."
It felt like something monumental had just happened.
I patted Sislein on the shoulder and whispered.
"He may talk like that, but he's a kind-hearted child."
Even if he treated you poorly in the original story.
"It's just because he has many wounds in his heart, just like you, Sislein."
If he had been raised only with love, he wouldn't have grown up to be so jealous.
Knowing Heinri's entire backstory, I understood him perfectly, but from Sislein's perspective, he must seem like a truly wicked child.
'Their first impressions of each other have turned out to be the worst. What should I do about this?'
As I was deep in thought, Sislein, who had been sitting quietly in his chair, asked me.
"Annette... do you like Heinri?"
"Yes."
At my answer, given without a moment's hesitation, Sislein slowly lowered his eyes and said with a darkened expression.
"...I see."
It was right then.
*Clatter—*
I heard a presence outside the door.
Wait, that's strange? The only people who know about this room are me, Sislein, and Heinri.
Did Heinri come back?
I walked slowly to the door, opened it, and peered into the hallway.
*Swish—*
I saw a shadow quickly turn the corner of the hallway, and I gulped.
"Heinri?"
There was no answer.
'This isn't a place to stay for long, either.'
Even though the mansion was vast, there were surprisingly few places to hide. With so many children around and so many eyes watching, staying in one place for too long meant getting caught at any moment.
I had only been here for a few days, but it would be safer to move to a new hideout.
'I need to decide on a place to hide Sislein within three days.'
I thought about it, then quickly shook my head.
'No. The sooner, the better... Yes, I'll move us tomorrow.'
0 Comments