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Episode 46: Plan B (II)
“……!”
What did this kid just say?
‘I’m sure he didn’t call me <mine>, this Gwanggong?’
I shifted my eyes away from Sislin’s chest.
‘Well, I must have heard it wrong.’
How could such an ominous flag be raised?
I tried my best to clear my brain (?) but ended up maintaining a dazed state.
“Damn it, uck! Ugh…”
In the field, Avilus coughed. Seeing that painful moans were intermingled from time to time, it seemed difficult to bear.
At this rate, he was going to kill that man.
I lifted my head and looked at Sislin.
“Sisl, stop and release him.”
The boy’s strained eyes softened when he looked at me.
“…He tried to hurt Annette. Such a person must be killed.”
—You’re too extreme, Mr. Gwang.
‘When did you grow so tall?’
Even though he was wearing a suppressant, he had such destructive power, I knew that he would eventually be called the ‘Prince of War’, but—
‘Now I can feel it little by little.’
It felt different from when I was protecting him from Viscount Puterio.
‘Children grow up fast…’
Sislin was also changing.
But, that didn’t mean an 11-year-old should kill someone.
I raised my index finger and said sharply.
“Sisl, 11-year-olds shouldn’t use the expression ‘killing people’. Of course, you can’t kill people! With exceptions…”
My last two words were said very softly. Of course I hate killing people, but—
‘He did something to deserve it.’
I’d like to give him a tight slap.
I glanced at Avilus.
‘…Uh, will he die if he hits him more?’
Enough was done.
Ummm, any more was definitely bad for education.
“Why… Can’t I just kill him?”
“Then you’re a bad kid!”
Sislin’s shoulders drooped like a wet puppy.
“…Yes.”
Thud!
At that moment, the aura that was engulfing Avilus disappeared, and he fell to the floor.
“Damn it, ugh.”
Avilus seemed to be very confused.
‘Of course.’
I was also surprised to see such an extraordinary ability.
In any case, this special level 1 was stronger than Avilus, even if he wore magic suppressors.
I believed in that and provoked him, but Sislin was even stronger than I expected, so Avilus himself must have felt it.
‘The fact that he couldn’t stand up to him.’
Even so, we couldn’t fight with all our might here.
Then the forest would be noisy.
Gerard wanted this to be as quiet as possible.
As I stepped forward in front of Sislin, I said;
“Now go. The deal is over.”
“…Damn it.”
At my words, Avilus wiped his nosebleed with his hands, then looked at us in turn.
There was murderous intent in those eyes. Surprisingly.
“I will make you regret this moment with tears of blood.”
‘No, how can you say such scary things to kids?’
“See you later, you rats.”
With typical villainous lines, Avilus vanished like the wind.
I looked at the space he disappeared from and folded my arms quietly.
“—Hmp.”
It seemed that it had been successfully resolved.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to Sislin and smiled brightly.
“Shall we go too, Sislin?”
“……”
The boy nodded quietly.
***
‘I think the light here is broken.’
It was a little dark.
I was walking side by side with Sislin through a dimly lit corridor.
Sislin looked as if he had many questions he wanted to ask me.
‘It’s understandable… He must have heard all of that conversation while in hiding. ‘
But, cautiously, he didn’t ask me about this or that in haste.
‘He’s waiting for me to tell him first.’
There were too many things Sislin had seen and heard to keep silent.
In the end, I opened my mouth first.
“Sisl, do you want to know what happened? Do you want me to tell you?”
“…Tell me.”
As if waiting, Sislin answered so.
Okay.
‘If I don’t tell him, my baby will be worried and anxious alone.’
“What happened—”
I explained the whole story, starting with the cigarette case (of course, I didn’t say anything about the black jewel, I only described it as the prince’s ‘cherished item’). Then about Gerard’s application for adoption, and even the rough details of the negotiations I proposed.
“—So, it’s all over now. I’ll be staying in the Forest. What do you think, isn’t it nice?”
I smiled broadly and asked Sislin.
“……”
Sislin bowed his head.
‘Ah, my baby, you’re gloomy again!’
‘Why aren’t you happy?’
I thought he would be happy because we would remain together…
“Annette.”
“Yes?”
Sislin raised his head and looked at me. And, he spoke so maturely that I couldn’t even imagine it coming out of Sislin’s mouth.
“You must have been worried and scared by yourself.”
“……”
A warm hand wrapped around one of my cheeks.
In an instant, my heart melted. The heart that was hardened like armor while fighting and defending against Gerard.
And only then did I realize. That I was very worried, anxious, and sometimes scared by myself.
“Annette.”
As if reading my expression, Sislin embraced me deeply in his arms.
How could this hug be so warm? I thought he was just a child.
“If something like this happens in the future, please tell me.”
“…I’m afraid you’ll be worried.”
“I like to worry about you.”
—It’s silly of him to worry.
Even with that thought, the boy’s blind affection, even worrying about me, quickly dispelled my fears and gave me peace of mind.
‘He’s grown up really well.’
All of a sudden, I was reminded of the past Sislin.
He looked like an animal that lived in the cave.
A poor boy who was afraid of water, who tried to blow soap bubbles for the first time.
A child who was like a small wild animal who couldn’t mix well with other children…
The boy I thought I should always protect and save had grown up.
‘I’m relieved now.’
Even if I disappear one day, Sislin.
‘You’ve grown up so well, enough to be happy on your own?’
Sislin pulled me out of his arms and whispered,
“Don’t hide anything.”
“……”
“Because I want to know everything about you.”
I was startled for a moment. His passionate obsession was peeking out of his blazing red eyes.
But only for a moment.
“I will protect you for the rest of your life, Annette.”
“……”
“As we grow older… Even if many years pass and you become a grandmother, I will protect you.”
The promise that followed was so sweet and innocent that it made me smile without realizing it.
“Ung, okay!”
I laughed happily at the boy’s growth.
Right then;
Ping-!
The dark corridor lit up as if it was a lie.
Defying the darkness at once, sparkling lights were embroidered on the ceiling.
We looked at each other and smiled.
“Shall we go, Annette?”
“Yeah, Sisl!”
The two small shadows crossed the corridor holding hands, leaning on each other.
For quite some time, very, very, very lovingly.
***
“Whew…”
In a warehouse away from the dormitory, at dawn.
I came here while the children were all asleep.
While coming, I looked back over and over again, making sure no one was following me.
What happened at the incinerator shouldn’t ever happen again.
“Okay. There’s no one here.”
Now, let’s gather some thoughts together.
When I purposely taunted Avilos earlier—
The important words he uttered while falling for the provocation.
“You naughty girl, let me give you a warning.”
“……”
“My master never gives up. You will be devoured from the head like a butterfly caught in the web of obsession.”
It gave off a nuance that this would not be the end, thanks to Gerard’s strong tenacity.
Despite the deal being made, Avilus’ tone was very confident.
What else was Gerard up to?
‘But now re-adoption is impossible. It’s written exactly in the rulebook…’
I gently rubbed my chin.
‘I can’t just relax. But still.’
If Gerard, who had retreated, stretched out towards me again, it was clear that this time it would be more terrifying.
The thirst for the prey that was once missed would burn even more.
‘Let’s set up a plan B.’
I would need a contingency plan soon. In fact, Plan B had been prepared for quite some time.
—Yes, it had been prepared for quite some time. My super secret plan.
‘It’s reassuring just thinking about it.’
What else did Avilus say?
“You will eventually become a princess, but—”
He didn’t say that I would become a ‘daughter of the imperial family’, he said that I would become a ‘princess’.
This meant that there was no doubt that Gerard would be crowned crown prince and become the next emperor.
‘And he’s the aide.’
How firm was Gerard’s attitude that even his aide would naturally talk like that?
“In the original story, it didn’t seem like he was aiming for the position of crown prince…?”
I muttered suspiciously and shook my head.
“No. I cannot only believe in the original.”
After all, ‘Annette’, who didn’t even exist in the original, was playing like this?
In addition, not all information appeared in the original.
‘Let’s revise the rating.’
Gerard was most likely to be obsessed with power. It was information that was not in the original novel.
And, lastly.
A decisive error of speech made by Avilus, who was foolishly agitated by the provocation.
“You’ll live forever as a tool for power and squeezing—”
“……!!!”
I shook my head, frustrated.
“He also knew what I was capable of!”
That was why he was saying that he was only interested in me, that he didn’t need the other kids, and such.
But, how?
How did he know?
I was confused as to whether only I was aware of my ability or whether only I knew I had inherited the soul of Exordium.
Sordi and Um might be able to answer.
“Sordi, Um. anyone there?”
I carefully summoned my guardian deities, but koo-ng, it was silence itself.
Ah, of course, they were…? Somewhere?
They couldn’t be called easily, could they?
They did say that in order to freely use their abilities, it was necessary to add resonance with the soul of Exorodium.
‘Uhh, shall I praise them?’
‘Because compliments are perfect for getting to know each other!’
“Mr. Sordi, the handsome lily! Please come out, Mr. Um, who is cool like a wolf!”
Also silence. For no reason, I called someone ‘handsome lily’ and ‘wolf’, and it made me cringe.
I was the only one embarrassed, right? One normal person disappeared.
I scratched my chin lightly and frowned.
Then I cried out without thinking much.
“Mom and dad!!!”
At that moment, swoosh, woo-wook— there was a spacetime warp, and the silhouettes of two men appeared.
I thought blankly.
‘—Is this supposed to happen?’
Soon, a handsome man as neat as a lily and a man with bright red hair greeted me, side by side.
“Hello, pretty sweetheart.”
“Glutinous rice, did you call us?”
The two guardian gods whom I met after a long time looked down at me and smiled sweetly.