âThere was an imperial emblem on the front of the case.â
âActually, I saw you dropping it while you were killing the high priest.â
If I said soâ, would my throat be sliced too?
So the lies I am about to tell have to be very plausible.
I went on with surprisingly calmness.
âThatâs how I knew it belonged to the imperial family.â
But Gerard was not the only member of the imperial family who attended the banquet that day.
If he thought I had found the answer with this alone, my logic would be weak. Therefore, I must add on.
âSo I reduced the scope by eliminating the options, Prince.â
[How?]
I continued answering without hesitation.
âFirst of all, the lady and madam of El Dorado are excluded because they do not like to smoke. And it is known that His Majesty the Emperor quit smoking.â
(TL/N: Iâm pretty convinced itâs âlady and madamâ rather than Annette trying to sound cute by saying âlady madamâ, still, we donât know much about the imperial family at the moment so letâs seeâŠ)
[âŠâŠ]
âAmong the princes, the 3rd and 4th princes are still underage, so they are not old enough to smoke under the Imperial Law. The 2nd prince is not in good health, so he often gets medical treatment. If one has asthma, one canât be the owner of a cigarette case.â
I said with my eyes open.
âCrucially, when the Prince stroked my hair⊠There was a faint cigarette smell.â
Then I smiled broadly.
âBut again, I wasnât 100% sure with that alone. I gambled, and it was only after I saw the crow that the Prince had sent me early in the morning that I was convinced!â
After I finished my explanation, I looked at the parchment with wide eyes.
Emulating the look of a pure and clever model student.
âThere were no holes.â
The âflow of thoughts of how I found the ownerâ that I told Gerard was quite plausible.
If I had actually picked up the cigarette case without knowing the owner, I would have used the same method.
[âŠRight.]
Also, his reaction was as expected.
âYes! Prince.â
I laughed softly.
âLetâs manage my facial expressions well.â
On my side, I could hear Gerardâs voice and see his writing, but there was no guarantee that it was the same for him.
âYouâll never know, yesâŠ?â
âCan he see my face right now?â
I hadnât figured out the exact function of the parchment yet, so I must be careful.
[Then Iâll ask you another question. How did you know that cigarette case was important to me?]
ââŠâŠ!â
For a moment, my expression almost slipped, but I managed to maintain it.
Ah, a sharp question!
[You suggested this deal with me because you determined that the item was worth the trade-off for withdrawing adoption. What is the basis for such conviction?]
âThe Prince is smarter than I expected!â
Usually, in a situation where youâre frantic to find something valuable to you, you cannot be so closely suspicious of the other person.
However, Gerard was thoroughly inquiring for information that I could not have from his point of view.
âHeâs not an easy person.â
[Answer me.]
âThatâŠâ
How did I knowâ
âYou were obsessed with the case like a madman in the original, Prince?â
If I said that, I was sure that it would be a win.
âI knew it when I saw the cigarette case.â
I answered calmly.
âHeâs tough, but Iâm not an easy 12-year-old either.â
âIt was as if my answer had been decided from the beginning.â
There was no other option.
Because in the first place, all I had was a cigarette case.
âI told him the right answer⊠Shall I put some weight on it now?â
I put an image of the cigarette case in my mind.
Then I began to ruminate through the information I had observed and obtained.
It was true that he cherished the cigarette case anyway. Thus, it was clear that the traces would remain on the actual object.
Oh, I knew itâ
Found it.
âThe leather on the edge of the case had a lot of oil stains on it. It must be something well used. But to my surprise, there were no small scratches on the chrome body.â
(TL/N: yâknow, the grease from your fingertips, shows up all the time on a not-matte phone screen.)
A cheerful voice continued to answer.
âIt means that the owner treated it with great care, Prince.â
Or, there was a high probability it was treated very obsessively. Because the case was often used.
âThe owner is either perverse or paranoid.â
Or paranoid pervert.
âAbove all, that black jewel.â
[âŠâŠ!]
In an instant, the sound of breathing over the communication port was slightly disturbed.
I didnât miss the reaction.
âAs expected, the value of the case was in that black gem.â
It was neither a magic stone nor an ordinary gem. What the hell was that?
I was thinking, but I wasnât so foolish to give off the nuance of knowing such an important thing.
It was a moment when socialization training, which required me to act two years younger than I am, was helpful.
Then I bowed my head and wiggled my hands in front of my modest dress.
âSo, I thought it might be worth much more than a useless orphan girl like me, PrinceâŠâ
Gerard on the other side was silent for a long time after hearing all of my answers. Then he quietly opened his mouth.
[You are a very clever child, Annette.]
âThank you!â
I replied in a friendly way, but somehow, when I heard it, it didnât sound like a compliment.
It was certainly a compliment, but it seemed that Gerard was not pleased.
He was a man with a very strange atmosphere.
He seemed to be kind to me, a child, yet he was merciless; and while he was using a gentle tone of voice, I felt a chill when I listened a little more carefully.
He gave off a more dangerous atmosphere than any adult I had ever dealt with.
âIâm risking my life to make a deal with this crazy guyâŠâ
Was he just going to adopt me now?
âIt doesnât matter if itâs a little scary, itâs âLiving with a scary but rich dad VS Parting with my headââ. Heuk-heuk.â
[But a fundamental question still remains.]
ââŠâŠ!â
âIâm going to ask you another question.â
I looked up slightly in nervousness.
âThe questions I was asked during the socialization training werenât even difficult.â
I thought it was tricky at the time, but every time Gerard asked me a question, I felt like I was putting my head out on the guillotine.
If I make a mistake and give the wrong answer, the blade of the guillotine wouldâŠÂ bam! I felt like it was going to hit me.
Not surprisingly, Gerard planted a large mine under my feet.
[Why are you denying my adoption request?]
âItâs here.â
I closed my eyes for a moment. Definitely, this was the most difficult question.
In fact, the ultimate goal of the Trees was to be adopted, and being adopted by an âimperialâ was the greatest success for any Tree.
So, to be honest, this situation itself was absurd.
Reasons for refusing adoption requestsâŠ
Suddenly, a soft voice rushed into my ear like a warm breeze in early summer.
âWeâŠâ
âLetâs never part and live happily ever after.â
As soon as I remembered that voice, it became vivid.
The tender warmth that enveloped me.
âSisterâŠâ
âLetâs go out on my birthday in winter.â
âItâs like being covered by a blanket and watching it snow all day long.â
âHeinrich, I want to keep that promise.â
âI really want to be with him on this birthday.â
My heart throbbed a little at the thought of leaving my two children behind.
[Is it because of the children?]
ââŠâŠ!â
I lifted my head at the sharp voice that broke my thoughts.
Then I answered right away.
âNo, thatâs not the reason. Prince.â
I didnât want to make that scary man even the slightest bit interested in the children of the Forest.
I answered, standing upright in front of the children of the Forest, as if protecting them from danger.
âThere is another reason.â
Now it was time to mix the truth.
The most sophisticated lies were only complete when credible truths were mixed.
âOf course, if I were adopted, I would have a rich and prosperous life as the daughter of the imperial family. Maybe a life that all the trees envy.â
[But.]
âNevertheless, the reason for refusingââ
I lowered my eyes, then resolutely raised my eyes and said,
âThe PrinceâŠâ
[âŠâŠ]
âItâs because you donât seem like a good man at all.â
[âŠâŠ!!!]
Gerard was silent for a moment as it was terribly unexpected.
It was probably the first time. Such a direct and honest evaluation.
All of El Dorado was praising Gerardâs talents as well as his virtues.
Gerard, who had been silent for quite a while, as if in embarrassment, quickly asked me.
It was with a very gentle voice. But he couldnât hide his deep curiosity.
[Why do you think so, Annette? I think Iâve been kind to you.]
I humbly bowed my head.
âThe weaker herbivores are, the more sensitive they are to the smell of fear and danger.â
When a lion chases, the deer runs away from a distance of several tens of meters.
âI⊠I had a feeling that the Prince is not as generous with children as he seemed.â
It was a pretty poor evaluation.
âIs he going to get mad?â
Gerardâs acting skills were really excellent, but I spoke so recklessly.
Besides, Gerard was surrounded by a lot of nobles who tried to kiss his ass (?), so his personality must have been praised a lot.
But it was like throwing a fastball saying, âI donât think your personality is that good!â
A mere orphan, a 12-year-old kid.
But then. Unexpectedly, a low laugh erupted from the scroll.