Chapter 18

(Please take note: Annette usually narrates the scene whenever she’s in it. But in this episode, the perspective/narration switches between Vivian, Annette and Julius. I don’t think it’ll be hard to understand the story, but just putting it out here!)

***

“Vivian. Only you know that the compass is my treasure.”

Annette’s bright green eyes, which were always friendly, were now calm, piercing through her.

She felt more dignified than any other teacher.

Vivian responded with a lot of bewilderment.

“…T-That! You said it was a compass to find your parents. That’s why it’s so precious…”

“That’s right.”

Annette’s eyes were bent.

“I only told you that story.”

“What does that mean…”

“The compass wasn’t even mine in the first place.”

“……?!”

‘Oh, I’ve been tricked.’ 

Vivian realized in an instant. The shock of that realization left her turquoise eyes blank, out of focus.

‘So, you’re saying that everything you said by the lake was a trap?’

***

A few hours ago–

Annette made a plan with two objects.

A fountain pen and a compass.

Although it was the first time she saw these things, they were going to become her most precious things from now on.

Annette first went to the lake with the compass, which was the place Vivian often went.

Vivian, as usual, came to the lakeside to get some fresh air, and found Annette.

‘What is she doing here?’

Vivian frowned upon seeing the older girl.

‘This is my own spot, how unpleasant.’

She was annoyed at the thought that this hateful child was in her spot.

The person Heinrich liked and constantly followed. She hated it even more because she didn’t know the reason.

‘Besides, she always pretends to be nice and kind to the kids.’

She didn’t want to be with Annette, but she couldn’t give up on sitting by the lake.

So she sat next to her.

“Hi.”

“Oh, Vivian, how are you?”

With pale green eyes under dazzling blonde hair, Annette smiled brightly as usual.

In her hand was a small compass.

At first glance, it looked like an old thing.

“…What is that?”

“Ah, this. If I go where this compass points, I’ll find my family!”

The ultimate hope of the children of the Forest had always been to meet their family.

It was the greatest wish of the Trees.

“Hmm.”

Vivian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Annette held the compass with both hands as if it was precious.

“So I’ve been keeping it since I was a kid. If I lose this… I feel like I am losing my future with my family.”

Vivian’s lips twisted upwards.

“Ah, I see. You must cherish it!”

“Yes!”

Vivian then secretly followed and discovered the place where Annette hid the compass.

‘Stupid. It’s a valuable item, but are you just hiding it in your locker?’

‘You will regret it, Annette.’

Vivian laughed viciously.

***

Still a few hours ago–

“Sister, what is that?”

Heinrich looked at the box I was hiding under the bed and asked.

I intentionally put it in a secretive and deep spot so as to draw Heinrich’s attention.

“Um, this? Shall I show you?”

‘If I say it like this, he’ll be 100% fooled… I know Heinrich very well.’

Unsurprisingly, Heinrich sat down on my bed with his purple eyes shining like a cat following snacks.

“Sister, why are you hesitating? Is there anything you can’t show me? I’m even more curious now… Show me!”

I laughed softly.

Then I showed him the fountain pen.

“Voila!”

“Oh, it looks good?”

“Yes! This is my father’s fountain pen. It was in my cradle when my parents abandoned me.”

“It is a precious thing to you.”

“Yes!”

I showed the fountain pen off and gave more details.

“Actually, I showed it to the children several times, but Heinri hasn’t seen it right?”

It was intentional.

The trick was to say, ‘Not only you, but other children know about the existence of this fountain pen’.

Heinrich was quite quick-witted and clever, so I had to be careful with my words.

However, for some reason, Heinrich’s eyes were lowered in a sullen way.

“…Heinri? what’s the matter?”

“Your father left such a thing. I envy you.”

‘…Ah, I see.’

Heinrich’s father wouldn’t have left anything behind when he abandoned him.

For a moment, my heart was throbbing and hurting.

‘I’m sorry, Heinrich.’

I was just thinking of deceiving you, so I didn’t even think that far.

Seeing Heinrich drooping as if wounded, my heart was stabbed mercilessly, and I wanted to drop everything if he was truly the culprit.

‘But I have to do this.’

It was heartbreaking, but Heinrich must be deceived as well.

I decided to become a little devil myself in order to catch the little devil.

After a while–

I deliberately told Sislin to come into the classroom late during the outdoor class when the little devil was active.

Then, finally, at the fateful hour, I faced the locker with a trembling heart.

‘Did my plan work?’

If it worked… 

‘If what’s inside is a fountain pen, then Heinrich is the culprit, and if it’s a compass, then Vivian is the culprit.’

I took a deep breath, counted to three in my mind, and opened Sislin’s locker with all my might.

Click—

“……!”

An old compass that pointed to the culprit.

***

With her eyes trembling, Vivian shouted.

“I-It’s cowardly of you to set up a trap like that, Annette!”

“Why?”

Annette spoke with dignified and cool eyes. It was a very different atmosphere from an ordinary 12-year-old.

“Are you the one who reported that Sislin was hiding in the ‘Hideout’?”

Vivian, who had become anxious as Annette fiercely narrowed in, made a frown and shouted.

“Is it a crime to do so? In the first place, that’s a violation of the rules! Why is that a sin?!”

‘As expected, the true identity of that shadow was her.’

Madam Mimosa, who was staring at the two of them with cold golden eyes, was naturally aware of the tattletale’s identity.

So Vivian couldn’t have lied.

Unlike Vivian, who was overly agitated, Annette had a calm face like the ripples of a lake.

“Are you the one who contacted the slave trader?”

“…Ah, ah, no?!”

‘You won’t know if I don’t tell you anyway!’

Vivian grabbed the chance and insisted.

But Annette was already convinced. For the first time, Vivian felt afraid of Annette as she approached her. 

She was a soft and gentle girl who always smiled, like a pudding, but why was she now so scared of her?

‘Why are you doing this to me! Stop!’

But Annette didn’t seem to want to stop. Like a determined feral cat, she drove the rat to the utmost corner.

“You clean Madam Mimosa’s room. Does anyone have as good of a chance as you? You searched the life records. Then you contacted the slave trader.”

“No!”

“Why did you contact the slave trader?”

A line was drawn on Annette’s beautiful forehead. It was the first time Vivian had seen such an expression on her.

Because Annette always smiled at everyone.

“Sislin was almost taken away as a slave because of you. You know what it’s like to be a slave, right?”

“T-That…!”

“It means he’s going to be miserable for the rest of his life. Did you like your friend going through that?”

“No!”

Tears welled up in Vivian’s eyes. Eventually, she burst into tears and protested.

“I…! I didn’t think that way. I just want Sislin to leave!”

Heinrich, who had been listening quietly, frowned and finally threw a few words out.

“That’s terrible.”

“……!”

Then Vivian bit her lower lip and cried.

“I did it for you! Because you hate Sislin!”

Heinrich exhaled a low breath and smiled brightly. Contrary to his expression, his eyes and voice were as cold as ice.

“When did I want you to do something like that?”

Vivian soon cried out in sorrow and said,

“You’re really too much!”

“It’s you who’s too much, Vivian. Apologize to everyone.”

At Annette’s words, Vivian raised her head with tears still in her eyes. Madam Mimosa, Sir Julius, and other teachers… 

Then she saw the faces of Reina and Robert, who she stole from. 

And Sislin.

Only then did Vivian realize. How ugly she was.

Vivian, with her face streaked with tears, apologized to Reina and Robert.

“Um, I’m sorry…”

Even the kind Reina did not tell Vivian that it was okay. She just kept staring at her with her pale purple eyes.

Robert kept shaking his head.

Amidst everyone’s cold reaction, Vivian trembled and approached Sislin.

“Sislin, really…”

After crying to the point her shoulders shook several times, Vivian bowed her head with a red face.

“Sorry!”

Sislin looked at Vivian with dry eyes that could not control her emotions.

“……”

The boy only responded with silence, but from Vivian’s point of view, the still anger was even more frightening.

Then, Madam Mimosa came out.

“It looks like everything has been sorted out. Then I will state Vivian’s punishment.”

The cold golden eyes shone.

“Vivian will be whipped, and she has to live in the Temple of the Forest until she repents.”

“……!!!”

Vivian’s face suddenly turned ashen.

The Temple of the Forest.

It was, in effect, the highest punishment that could be given to Trees.

Where the cry of a child could be heard day and night. A place with terrifying educators that were like monsters.

“M-Madam…! Please forgive me!!!”

Vivian knelt and clung to Madam Mimosa, but to no avail. Madam Mimosa’s cold expression had not changed.

“Forgive me just once, my, please…!”

“Take this child to her room. so that she can pack her things.”

“Yes, madam.”

One of the teachers who was watching held Vivian and dragged her away.

A scream was heard along with the cries of sincere remorse.

“Madam, madam…!”

“……”

Meanwhile, there was a man watching the situation quietly and sweating.

It was Julius.

He moved slowly and hurriedly left the auditorium.

***

“Damn it, damn it!”

Julius constantly glanced back as he walked down the hallway.

It was to see if anyone was following.

‘Damn it, why did Vivian do such a thing!’

This time he was wrong.

Also, he was wrong in front of everyone in the Forest, and so there was no turning back.

‘But I can’t give her the ring of the clan.’

It wouldn’t matter if he didn’t keep the promises he made with a child anyway.

As a teacher in charge of ‘noble etiquette’, he was careful to keep his promises whenever possible, but he just couldn’t give away this ring.

Because it was his everything.

‘Yes, I don’t think she’ll seriously ask for it either.’

It was at that time when he was running away, immersed in such thoughts.

“Teacher!”

Julius’ heart pounded and almost dropped at the bright voice he heard in front of him.

“Teacher, Teacher Julius! Where are you going in such a hurry?”

“……!”

It was Annette who came from a shortcut. The child in the white dress was smiling like an angel.