Chapter: 04
Socialization training.
A training program designed to help trees, who only ever live in the ‘forest,’ adapt to the outside world. It usually begins after one awakens their abilities.
But in reality, it was also an opportunity to showcase the ‘merchandise’ before being sold off to noble families.
Today, Heinley participated in a salon gathering of the highest nobility of the Eldora Empire.
Dressed in a children’s frock coat, an elegant shirt, and with silver hair framing his violet eyes, Heinley was an adorable sight.
“What a remarkably beautiful boy. And I hear his magical power is immense as well?”
Marquis Hilberg, sporting a mustache like a swallow’s tail, remarked as he looked at Heinley.
“Heinley is the only Special Level 1 tree in our forest, my lord.”
Julius, the trees’ socialization supervisor, replied with great politeness. Yet his tone and expression couldn’t hide a note of pride.
“His latent magical power is so potent that it’s difficult for his young body to control it. That’s why he wears this ‘magic suppression earring.'”
Casually, Julius reached for the earring, and Heinley flinched, lifting his head. A flicker of irritation crossed his face, but it was only for a moment.
Throughout the salon, Heinley remarkably didn’t frown even once, faithfully playing the role of a ‘good, talented little child.’
“Very interesting, most interesting… He’s just the right age to take in as my youngest.”
Seemingly quite taken with Heinley, Marquis Hilberg gently stroked the boy’s head.
“……”
Heinley didn’t respond. Instead, he merely accepted the touch obediently and offered a smile.
—
“Such a pain. Damn it!”
Once out of the salon and inside the carriage, Heinley let out his pent-up frustration.
The boy, as if tired, placed the back of his hand on his forehead and closed his eyes.
“Why do they have to touch me and mess around?”
He had always intensely disliked being touched by anyone.
There was only one person whose touch the boy allowed. Annette.
“I’m tired. I want to go back to the forest right now.”
Julius looked at the boy with deep blue eyes beneath his long blond hair and smiled gently.
“There’s still one more place to go, Heinley.”
“For two weeks, I’ve been paraded around like an animal in a pet shop! I’m exhausted.”
Unlike the other forest children, Heinley was sought after by far more nobles.
Trees were classified into 9 levels based on their awakened abilities, and Heinley was currently the only Level 1 tree.
Not only that, but he had the prefix ‘Special’ – Special Level 1.
A higher level meant higher potential.
Nobles naturally wanted to claim the most talented child as their trophy.
“I told you the schedule isn’t over yet, Heinley.”
Julius was smiling gently, but there was a hint of menace beneath it.
The sound of Heinley’s agitated breathing, like a cat splashed with water, grew quiet.
Instead, the boy slowly lifted his eyelids. His violet eyes shone clearly from his narrowed gaze. The boy whispered softly, asking.
“Is it okay if I get hurt?”
“……”
Julius’s expression stiffened instantly.
He was recalling a memory.
The previous socialization training that had ended in a bloody mess.
He had felt immense self-loathing over the outcome that had ruined the precious Special Level 1 talent.
The lines of Julius’s face softened once more.
“…If you dislike it that much, I suppose it can’t be helped.”
He then sat up straight, facing forward, and spoke to the coachman.
“Destination is the forest. Let’s head back now.”
“Yes, sir!”
Finally, the coachman’s booming reply and the cheerful sound of hooves burst forth.
The boy, with a weary face, cast his eyes down in the back seat.
‘Annette, I miss you.’
It was the longest he had been away from her since meeting her.
The past two weeks had been utterly horrible.
Tired and worn out, there was only one thing Heinley wanted to do as soon as he returned to the forest.
To be held in Annette’s arms and smell her scent.
It was Heinley’s favorite thing to do.
But—
Returning to the forest after two weeks, Heinley witnessed a shocking sight.
Annette was holding hands with some grubby-looking boy.
This was wrong.
It felt like a tremendous betrayal, like returning from a two-year war fought with blood, sweat, and tears only to find his wife cheating on him, holding another man’s hand.
Even though he was an 11-year-old child. Even though he hadn’t fought in a war, and was only half the height of a grown man.
Anyway, in this serious situation, Annette was smiling way too brightly.
“A new friend! Say hello, Heinley.”
Her face showed not the slightest awareness of how Heinley felt inside.
…Friend? Who said you could be friends?
‘What kind of beastly brat is this?’
The red eyes beneath black hair were looking at him, and it just rubbed him the wrong way.
He looked like he was probably dirty originally, but pretending to be all clean and fluffy after a rough wipe was annoying too.
Contrary to Annette’s rosy view, Sisrain didn’t quite meet Heinley’s hygiene standards.
It wasn’t exactly that he was filthy or unclean, but…
Heinley scowled deeply and muttered, purely out of jealousy over their clasped hands.
“Filthy, damn it.”
—
Clunk.
Suddenly, a sound echoed intensely in my ears.
It was the sound of Heinley planting his own doom flag.
‘That’s even worse than ‘dirty’!’
We’re even more screwed than in the original story?!
I couldn’t believe it.
‘How could he say something like that to such a cute little kid?’
With trembling pupils (probably fully love-struck), I looked at Sisrain.
Then, with a face that looked like it was about to cry, I said to Heinley.
“…You shouldn’t use such bad words, Heinley.”
That terrifying mouth.
In the original story, Heinley’s speech was consistently rude and his attitude arrogant, constantly provoking Sisrain and bringing about even more ruin.
Honestly, when reading it as a novel, I liked that prickly character.
Because I was drawn to arrogant, ill-mannered characters.
But—
Watching my favorite character diligently accumulating ‘future pain’ right before my eyes was tough.
“I don’t make friends with filthy brats.”
Aah. Please stop.
But this yappy little Chihuahua didn’t know how to control his temper.
Heinley huffed and puffed by himself and eventually came over and pushed Sisrain.
“Annette is mine. Get lost.”
“Heinley!”
I turned pale and tried to stop him.
Until now, Heinley had practically monopolized me in the forest. It was always my job to take care of Heinley, who was particularly sensitive, finicky, and shy around everyone.
Perhaps that’s why?
Heinley looked like an angry alpha cat whose territory had been invaded by a new feline.
Since Sisrain had low self-esteem and was introverted, I thought he would be shocked by Heinley’s behavior.
‘This is bad…’
But Sisrain’s reaction was completely different from my expectations.
Sisrain didn’t get pushed back much, held my hand tighter, and looked at Heinley.
Then, with ruby-red eyes, he quietly asked.
“Why is Annette yours?”
“……”
Unlike his own furious state, Sisrain’s calm question seemed to strike Heinley speechless for a moment.
“…Th-that’s, that’s!”
Heinley’s ears turned red.
“Because I’m going to marry Annette when I grow up!”
I was startled to hear this.
That was not an agreed-upon plan!
Sisrain, unfazed even as Heinley fumed and snapped in front of him, looked at him calmly.
Then he countered coolly.
“Brothers and sisters usually can’t get married, you know.”
“……!”
Heinley’s violet eyes shook with shock.
As if experiencing a moment of cognitive dissonance, he blinked. Then, he frantically grabbed my sleeve and asked seriously.
“Annette, is that true? If I call you sister, we can’t get married?”
“…Uh, well.”
I rolled my eyes awkwardly.
Do you think the only reason we can’t get married is just that, kid?
Seeing my hesitant answer, Heinley urgently pointed his index finger at Sisrain and deflected the blame.
“But why doesn’t that brat call you sister? He’s definitely younger than 12!”
In the forest, my age of 12 was the oldest.
Even though it was a mere ten fingers plus two years, here I was practically the senior citizen.
And Sisrain and Heinley were both 11, the same age.
‘Hmm, his protest is valid.’
I had just let it slide because I liked being called Annette… but if he’s complaining about such unfairness.
For the sake of peace, this needed to be sorted out.
“Heinley’s right. It would be better if you called me ‘noona’ too, Sisrain.”
Sisrain looked at me silently with his red eyes beneath black hair.
Then, he readily buried his head, which smelled nice, against my shoulder, and lowered his eyelids.
With a sweet voice, like a ripened fruit, Sisrain blushed and whispered.
“Noona…”
Instantly, my face flushed as red as a cherry candy. Crazy, he’s going to charm every ‘noona’ in the world.
‘So cute. My baby.’
Watching this scene, Heinley finally plopped down on the spot and exploded in frustration.
“…Ugh, just tell him to call you Annette like before!!!”
—
After barely calming down the fuming Heinley, I sent him to his living quarters.
It took some coaxing, even adding the condition, “I’ll put you to sleep tonight, I promise,” to stop him from throwing a tantrum about not wanting to leave my side.
Since Heinley particularly loved it when I put him to sleep, he asked, “Really?” several times.
Then, like a cat burying a delicious fish and leaving it behind, he kept looking back until he finally left the room.
“Phew…”
It feels like something huge just happened.
I patted Sisrain’s shoulder and whispered.
“Even though he talks like that, he’s a good kid at heart.”
Even though in the original story, he was mean to you.
“It’s because he has a lot of emotional scars, just like you, Sisrain.”
If he had grown up receiving only love, he probably wouldn’t have such a jealous personality.
Knowing Heinley’s backstory, I understood completely, but from Sisrain’s perspective, he probably seemed like a very mean child.
‘They’ve gotten off on the worst foot with each other. What should I do?’
As I was deeply pondering, Sisrain, who had been sitting quietly on the chair, asked me.
“Annette… do you like Heinley?”
“Yes.”
At my immediate, unwavering answer, Sisrain slowly lowered his eyes and spoke with a darkened expression.
“…I see.”
Just then.
Clatter—
I sensed a presence outside the door.
Huh, that’s strange? Only I, Sisrain, and Heinley know about this room, right?
Maybe Heinley came back.
I walked over slowly, opened the door, and looked down the hallway.
Swoosh—
Then, I caught a glimpse of a figure quickly rounding the corner in the hallway, and I gulped.
“Heinley?”
There was no reply.
‘Looks like we can’t stay here long either.’
As spacious as this mansion was, it had surprisingly few hiding places. There were many children and many eyes, so lingering in one spot meant getting discovered at any time.
We’ve only been here a few days, but it would be safer to move to another location.
‘I need to find a place to hide Sisrain within three days.’
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
‘No. The sooner, the better… Yes, I’ll move him tomorrow.
