Episode 49: Plan B (V)

「Forest Special Level 1,

Request for adoption of Heinrich.

 ―Gerard von Axelferion―」

‘He’s trying to take Heinrich hostage.’

It was somewhat expected.

That was why, my mind and heart somewhat calmed down.

He must have already heard about our friendship through Madam Mimosa, and he must have understood that I cherished Heinrich.

Besides, Gerard told me this.

[It has to be you. I’m not interested in other kids.]

I would remember that, Gerard knew.

Under this circumstance, the reason for ordering Heinrich’s adoption papers to be shown to me first was obvious.

‘Either to intimidate or to ask for a deal.’

[I will probably be the worst kind of father who abuses children.]

He was asking if I wanted to send my beloved friend to the worst kind of father.

And in the rulebook of the Forest, there was something like this.

[If the adoptee withdraws his/her intention to adopt, re-adoption is not possible. (However, except for cases where the Tree side requests for adoption again.) ]

He was asking me to voluntarily request for adoption. 

Or my friend would be abused.

–That’s right.

‘Did the author focus only on his ‘despicable’ stats when creating this character?’

I thought that Gerard had as much goodness as a rotten cabbage leaf, but at this level, it was time for a downward revaluation.

“Annette, you’re not as upset as I thought.”

At Madam Mimosa’s words, I shook my head and raised it.

Then I blinked and answered calmly as usual.

“I thought that something like this would happen.”

“…Huh, I see.”

Perhaps my answer was interesting, as Madam Mimosa’s golden eyes lit up.

She spoke to me in her usual cold, polite voice.

“Annette, I know how much you care for Heinrich. But nothing is more important than your own future. You know that, don’t you?”

“……”

“Send Heinrich, if you don’t want to be adopted.”

From Madam Mimosa’s point of view, it seemed to be sincere advice.

“You can stay and look after Sislin.”

“……”

“Anyway, you have to make a choice.”

Yes, I had to make a choice anyway.

‘But my options aren’t among the ones that damn bastard gave me.’

Heinrich, or me – there was no such option as to push either one of us into the abyss of misery.

“Shall we decide on Heinrich’s adoption?”

“No, Madam.”

I answered with my eyes wide open.

‘I will save Heinrich, and I will save myself.’

“I am going to be adopted. Please make a ‘request for adoption’ to the Prince right now.”

“……!”

With this in mind, it was time to launch ‘Plan B’.

***

Pak, pak, pak. Pak, pak.

I was digging with a shovel as small as a baby mole’s paw.

Then I looked around, swish, swish-

‘Good. There is no one around.’

Then, bang bang! I dug into the ground

‘Come on, come on. My treasure!’

Whoo-hoo, was this how a corrupt wealthy man who buried billions of won in a garlic field felt? As the earth was dug little by little, it seemed you were one step closer to a hopeful future, and you’d get very excited… Was I too capitalistic at just the age of 12?

At night like this, digging in a corner of the Forest Hall (the forest surrounding the mansion) with a shovel, like a villain trying to bury a body secretly—

I couldn’t help it.

‘I don’t have much time.’

As soon as I requested for re-adoption earlier, Madam Mimosa contacted Gerard through correspondence.

And Heinrich’s adoption withdrawal and my adoption were decided at the same time on the spot.

“The Prince said he would come to pick you up tomorrow morning, congratulations on your adoption, Annette.”

“……”

“Hmm, isn’t it something to celebrate? But you’re not in the mood.”

Madam Mimosa seemed to feel a little bit sorry for me.

“As you know from experience, the Prince is a very scary person, Annette.”

“…Yes.”

“Never go against him. Good luck.”

‘But I shall bet against it.’

You might think I had already lost at the point of choosing between the two of the proposals presented by the other party.

Because it meant that the other person’s intentions were going to happen.

But I had no intention of acting as Gerard intended.

If my plan succeeded, tomorrow morning Gerrard would probably be a cotton candy-washed raccoon.

Pak, pak, pak, pak, pak!

“Oh, it’s out!”

I pulled out the leather pouch that had been buried in the ground with a cry, “Hooo-hah!”

The pouch, which had been buried like a ripe radish, suddenly came out.

“Wow, it’s heavy.”

I opened the pouch with a pounding heart.

It was filled with the treasures of the dwarves who had this forest as their home.

From gold coins used in ancient times (because of the craftsmanship, the value was higher than current gold coins)—

Of course, swords made from dragon bones (the materials were rare, and thanks to the special crafting skills of the dwarves, warriors would be delighted)—

All kinds of jewelry and ornaments were mixed carelessly to the extent that they were just ‘seasoning’.

“Heh heh.”

The mere sight of it made me proud, and I couldn’t get rid of my capitalist smile.

‘It’s well hidden, my bakery funds!’

As soon as I came to the Forest, what I did was to find the treasures that the dwarves who lived in this forest had gathered.

‘In the original work, Sislin finds it.’

There was a feeling that I intercepted it, but umm, I didn’t even like Sislin at the time.

Besides, in the original, Sislin found this and got beaten up.

This was because the chihuahua, the hell of destruction, who could not miss the golden opportunity to torment Sislin, falsely accused him by saying “Thief!”.

‘These are treasures that he can’t touch anyway, so it’s good to use them as my future funds, right?’

I smiled happily while holding the treasure bag.

My Plan B has always been buried here.

In the first place, I wasn’t an ignorant person.

If I had to leave the Forest one day, in a lonely state since I wasn’t adopted, shouldn’t I be prepared for such a future?

I was pretty realistic, so I didn’t simply say that I wanted to be a bakery owner.

I made a detailed future plan, as much as I possibly could.

Among them was ‘financing’.

“Some of them can only be cashed out as an adult, but… Hmm, the rest is enough.”

A treasure with a high value like a dragon sword would be difficult for a 12-year-old to turn into money, but ordinary gems were possible.

It was enough for me to open a small bakery.

My heart was pounding again.

“…I am finally moving forward to the future I have planned for a long time.”

A step toward achieving a small and precious dream that I have dreamed of since my previous life.

I was hit by a motorcycle in my previous life, and it was now my turn to live my life properly.

‘I’ll open a bakery that always smells warm and hands out bread to the hungry.’

‘So that no one will ever go hungry in the town where my bakery is.’

–I’ll put up a cute little signboard.

If I have regular customers, I should always be kind to them.

My heart was as sweet as castella while I was imagining those delightful thoughts.

‘I’m sure the boys will be happy too.’

If I disappeared, Gerard’s interest in the children would be cut off, and Sislin and Heinrich would have a happy ending, just as I had arranged for them.

“Of course, it’s a bit depressing to part with Sislin and Heinrich, but…”

I took a deep breath and then exhaled.

“It was going to happen one day.”

However, it was only a little earlier than planned.

Even if we parted after a year, it wouldn’t be any less sad than now. Because parting would always be sad.

Now that only a flower road remained in front of the children, it was the best time to leave.

‘And shouldn’t I also walk on my flower path?’

All that’s left was–

‘How do I screw Gerard up and escape?’

“…….”

‘Let’s think about this.’

Because there was still time until morning.

***

Tuk, tuk–

Water dripped into the sink. The boy’s face was wet.

However, Heinrich couldn’t come to his senses no matter how cold the water he used to wash his face was.

Because he overheard some deadly secret.

This morning.

Heinrich finally completed his invention.

An ‘Invisibility Cloak’.

It was in the form of a simple cloak, but it hid the person wearing it like a ghost.

Wow, it was a first-class magic tool.

The higher the crafting difficulty, the higher the level of the magic tool, but the fact that a boy who had just started making magic tools made a first-class magic tool—

It meant he was a ‘genius’.

As Annette had believed, the boy became a genius.

“This is the final test. Just do this and I’m done!”

Heinrich was in the best mood until he walked around the hallway wearing an invisibility cloak for testing.

But there were some voices that took Heinrich down from his high.

It was a voice he heard by chance, leaking from the room where Madam Mimosa and Annette were.

“The Prince said he would come to pick you up tomorrow morning, congratulations on your adoption, Annette.”

Clank–

Heinrich’s pale hands, as it touched the sink, filled with strength.

“Sister.”

His low voice resounded in the bathroom.

There was heartbreaking sadness and anger in that voice. He couldn’t even breathe properly.

In the mirror, the boy’s wet eyes burned brightly.

“Leaving me… Where are you going?”