Chapter 5
Unfortunately, we didn't have that kind of time.
A moment later, someone paid a visit to our secret hideout.
Like a bird of prey about to snatch its meal with its talons, she spoke with her golden eyes gleaming.
"So, you were hiding in a place like this like a pair of rats?"
—Mrs. Mimosa!
My little heart dropped to the floor with a thud.
I felt all the blood drain from my toes in an instant.
"Annette. I am truly disappointed."
"……Madam."
Mrs. Mimosa stood there, holding a sharp cane, and spoke coldly.
"I trusted you as a model student who had never once caused any trouble."
*Gulp.*
My throat went dry from the tension, and I swallowed hard.
As the worst-case scenario I had only imagined in my head became reality, I felt like I was going to panic.
"……."
Sislein must have been terrified, too; his breathing grew hot. He had already been subjected to harsh corporal punishment by Mrs. Mimosa before.
'What do I do? I wasn't supposed to get caught yet.'
He hadn't even overcome his "water trauma" yet, and there was no way to return him to The Forest naturally.
If things went on like this, he would be beaten……!
What would happen next was obvious.
Sislein, who had finally opened his heart even a little, would crawl back into his cave, and the situation would worsen significantly.
Mrs. Mimosa looked around the hideout, tapping the furniture with the tip of her cane.
"So, all the furniture here is stolen, too. Sislein…… to think you would commit such a brazen act."
At her cold gaze, I was startled and hid Sislein behind my back, shouting,
"Sislein isn't at fault. I'm the one who did it!"
"Annette. I know you have a kind heart and care for the Trees, but you must not blindly shield them."
"It's true, Madam. Please believe me…… please."
"Sislein has already broken eight school rules. I cannot forgive him."
Ah……. The number had gone up. Because of me.
"To begin with, he threw a tantrum about not wanting to wash and ran away into a cave. You know how worried the teachers were, don't you? ……How often have I emphasized that you must strictly follow the school rules?"
In The Forest, harsh corporal punishment follows any child who causes trouble.
"Move aside."
Sure enough, Mrs. Mimosa pushed my shoulder aside and swung her cane nimbly toward Sislein.
*Whoosh!*
Oh no, he’s going to get hit!
That cane would really hurt……!!!
In an instant, I hugged Sislein tightly, turned my back to her, and shouted,
"Sislein isn't throwing a tantrum; he's terrified of water!"
Mrs. Mimosa's cane stopped in mid-air for a moment. However, her strict golden eyes still didn't look like they had any intention of forgiving us.
"Annette, no matter the reason, the fact that Sislein broke the school rules does not change."
"……."
"If you do not move, I will have no choice but to punish you along with him."
In this young body, an adult holding a sharp cane was terrifying.
But I couldn't back down.
Because of his trauma, Sislein was trembling like a puppy caught in the rain all day, and I could feel that trembling clearly in my arms.
I was trembling and scared too…… but I held it in, forced strength into my eyes, and looked straight at her.
"I will take responsibility and fix it, Madam."
"……."
"I will make sure he washes properly, doesn't run away, and follows the school rules!"
I played my trump card.
"If I fail…… I will accept the same punishment as Sislein."
Perhaps reading my resolve, Mrs. Mimosa's eyebrows arched sharply. In that expression, I could sense cold suspicion and a hint of interest.
"Sislein has always failed to adapt to The Forest and caused trouble; is that even possible?"
"Yes, Madam."
I nodded with clear, unwavering eyes.
"If you scold him now, he'll just get more scared and hide. You know that, Madam."
*Twitch.* A small crack appeared in Mrs. Mimosa's cold expression. She knew it, too. She knew that if she tried to solve this with corporal punishment, she would have a very long road ahead of her.
"I will give you three days."
Three days was too short…….
But there didn't seem to be any room for negotiation.
'I will make it work, no matter what.'
I stopped worrying and nodded with eyes full of determination.
"Yes, Madam. I promise."
Only then did Mrs. Mimosa lower her cane. It was a huge relief.
"Clean up this room and return Sislein to the living quarters."
*Sigh*, I succeeded in persuading her!
"However, as punishment for breaking the rules, Annette will have to go without dinner for three days. As for Sislein……."
Mrs. Mimosa scanned Sislein's thin limbs and said,
"Make sure he gets his nutrition."
"Yes, Madam!"
Going hungry was something I could endure. As long as my baby was safe.
Hearing my energetic reply, the Madam finally left our hideout.
"Phew……."
My body, drained of tension, went limp like a burst teddy bear.
Only then did Sislein slowly lift his head from my arms. The boy's anxiety was clearly visible in his ruby-red eyes.
"Annette."
I gently stroked his small head.
"Don't worry. It'll be okay. Sislein."
And I gave him a bright smile.
* * *
I stayed with Sislein for a while longer until he was less anxious, then headed down to the living quarters.
'Maybe this is for the best.'
If he returns to The Forest, he'll have a warm bed and good food to eat.
At the very least, it was a huge relief that we didn't get beaten today.
The problem was overcoming Sislein's water trauma within the tight deadline of three days…….
'Let's research some methods.'
Surely, he can overcome it.
Alright! Let's do this!
Filled with positive energy, I opened the door to the living quarters.
The children, who had been tucked into their little beds one by one, saw me, smiled brightly, and waved their short arms.
"Annette!"
"Big sister! Sisssterrr~"
"It's a wittle bit cowd today (It's a little cold today). *Achoo!*"
Julian, with his fluffy blonde hair and large, lake-blue eyes, sneezed, and a bit of snot came out.
"Oh? That's because the window is open. Kids, you'll catch a cold. Let's close the window!"
"Okay!"
The children answered brightly and diligently closed the window.
I wiped my nose. I felt like a powerful authority figure. *Ahem*, being 12 is thrilling; it's the best.
I wiped Julian's nose and went to Heinri's bed.
"……."
Heinri was sitting with his back to me. He was clearly sulking.
It was something he did whenever he felt neglected.
*Sob*, what a cute little kid!
"Heinri―"
"……."
"Where did our good boy Heinri go?"
I pretended not to see him even though he was right in front of me.
I saw Heinri's soft, rice-cake-like cheeks twitch.
Then, he opened his mouth sullenly.
"I heard you got punished by skipping dinner? ……Eat that or don't, I don't care."
When someone gets punished, it gets posted on the bulletin board, and it seemed he had read it quickly.
Where Heinri was pointing, there was some soft bread.
*Grrr.*
Seeing the bread made me feel incredibly hungry. I took a big bite, and it felt like it was melting in my mouth.
With my cheeks full of bread, I spoke with muffled pronunciation.
"It's so yummy, Heinri."
"……If I had known you'd like it, I would have threatened to kill the guy in charge of the bread to get more."
"Ah. You can't do bad things like that!"
"Put me to sleep. I'm sleepy."
As I tried to scold him, Heinri quickly changed his attitude and whined.
While nibbling on the bread, I pulled the sheet up to Heinri's chest as he lay in bed.
Then, I patted his chest.
Like a cat enjoying its owner's touch, Heinri's purple eyes soon softened.
He really is an angel when he's like this.
My heart felt soft like pudding, but that was only for a moment; I asked the question that had been bothering me the whole time.
"Heinri, tell me honestly. Did you tell someone about the room where Sislein is? ……That hideout, only you, me, and Sislein knew about it."
"What? That's impossible!"
Heinri's eyes narrowed like a mean cat.
"You know how much I hate bad kids."
I had definitely seen the shadow of a child in the hallway of the hideout. If it wasn't Heinri, who could have told?
'Just who could it be?'
I looked around the living quarters with suspicious eyes. But there was no child who came to mind.
……There wasn't really any child who disliked me.
Surely, they won't keep getting in the way of my plans, right?
I had to fix Sislein's water trauma as soon as possible, return him to The Forest, and make sure he got along well with Heinri.
For the happy future of my favorite, Heinri, and Sislein, who had become precious to me, both were necessary steps.
So, what happened from here on out was important.
Even if there was someone trying to interfere, I couldn't stop.
'The first impression was a bit bad, but given how kids are, if we play together often, we'll get close.'
Of course, Heinri's jealousy was much worse than I had expected, but there was a way.
I poked Heinri's shoulder with my index finger and said,
"Heinri, I like you the best. You know that, right?"
The 'Mom had another baby but still loves you the best' strategy!
When I smiled brightly with clear eyes, Heinri's two cheeks turned as red as plums in an instant.
"……!"
Heinri, whose sulky eyes had gone soft, closed his eyes.
"Hmph."
Then he said sullenly,
"Obviously."
I should have listened to the rest of what he said, but because Heinri turned away, I didn't quite hear it.
"I like you the best too, big sister."
His whispering voice was so small and affectionate.
"……So I won't let anyone take you away."
* * *
The next day.
From the morning, I made something by fiddling with it and ran to where Sislein was.
This thing I prepared to overcome his water trauma was, in fact.
"Ta-da!"
It was a pink stick with a circle at the end.
Sislein looked at the stick blankly and asked.
"Annette. ……What is that?"
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