Chapter 274
Chapter 274
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 274
Chapter Title: Mary (2)
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Even Mary's tear glands, sobbing as if she'd lost her entire country, had their limits.
"Feeling better now?"
About an hour had passed, and her hiccups had noticeably died down.
"...Hic."
She sniffled and nodded repeatedly. I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
What the hell is this ordeal?
I had no idea how much I'd stroked her head, hugged her, and patted her back since her crying fit started.
The more I tried to soothe her, the more her emotions flared up, making her cry even harder. She wailed so pitifully that it nearly brought tears to my eyes too.
I steadily stroked her head, dodging the awkward branches in the way.
Her back was similar. I patted it carefully, avoiding the wooden armored parts as much as possible.
If my touch slowed even a little...
-Poke poke.
She'd grab my collar tightly. It was Mary's command: more, faster stroking, please.
Then I'd have to move my hands diligently again.
Other than Mary's crying, nothing had changed from before.
My position was extremely uncomfortable too.
I was half-squatting awkwardly on the floor, with Mary buried face-first in my arms.
I scooped her up in one go. I could feel her body trembling slightly.
She was so small and light, it barely felt like I was holding anything—like carrying a slightly heavy crossbody bag.
I carried her straight to the sofa and sat down, and she dangled limply along.
Judging by her actions alone, she was just a big Shiba Inu.
I hoped my Shiba never turned into such a spoiled brat.
"Lady Mary."
"...Yeah."
"You okay now?"
At my question, Mary timidly nodded and cautiously looked up at me.
Her eyes were puffy. There were different fluids smeared around her eyes and nose. When I tried to wipe her runny nose with my sleeve, she jerked her head back, rejecting my hand.
"You said... you hated me..."
That was still weighing on her heart, huh.
What a pouty little thing. I hadn't even done this much for Shiba.
"If you really hated it, you'd have kicked me out from the start."
"...You humans all hate me."
"That's what I said would happen if you kept cursing at me nonstop."
"......"
She'd calmed down a bit, so I figured it was time to start the lecture again.
"What have you always said to me, Lady Mary?"
"...I hate you."
"How do you think that makes me feel?"
"Never thought about it. Because you're... human."
I had to add a straightforward explanation.
You can't shatter prejudices when someone's all puffed up and arrogant.
This unstable state of mind and body was the only chance.
"Conversely. If I cursed at you."
"...You're gonna curse at me?"
"How would that make you feel?"
"Then... then, sob. Waaah."
She must've imagined me cursing at her, because fresh tears started welling up, so I patted her back and stroked her head again.
The barely calmed Mary continued in a quivering voice.
"I wouldn't like it..."
"People feel the same way. Trees need respect too, no matter what."
"...Trees from humans?"
Normally, she'd have unleashed a barrage of double curses, accusing me of trying to teach her. But surprisingly, she was listening intently.
She probably hadn't had many chances to hear or learn things like this from anyone.
I nodded lightly.
"......Why?"
Power structures are mostly useless without the people at the bottom.
Even in a triangular hierarchy, if the ruled refuse to be ruled, all that's left is war or revolution.
Would Mary even want to understand that structure?
She might even find it hard to grasp. To me, she was just a total kid.
"Lady Mary, you can do more things than humans can."
"...Yeah."
So I persuaded her differently.
"You can know more things."
"...Right."
"You have more mana power. Way grander branches and roots too."
"Yeah."
A life of being fawned over drives any kid crazy.
A world revolving around them.
They believe it without doubt, so they expect it to come true in reality too.
Kids are like that. Mary wasn't much different.
"If you use that to help humans."
I tempted her.
Truly securing a group that revolves around her.
There might be all sorts of headaches, but for now, this was enough.
"At least a few would genuinely like you, right?"
"...You said they all hate me."
"Think about it."
I dropped the formal speech for a moment. Mary's reaction didn't change much.
Her eyes widened a bit in surprise, but she didn't have the energy to scold me.
"Humans genuinely liking you, bowing their heads. Wondering how they can make things convenient for you, Mary."
"How would I know... They're all liars."
"You can tell by looking."
The tone of someone truly bowing from the heart can't be faked.
Having only faced negative gazes, Mary might not know.
"If you're not sure, try changing your attitude just once."
"......"
"Humans or trees, we're all the same. Apologize to those you've wronged."
"...Why should I?"
"Don't like it?"
Mary nodded.
She hadn't been shocked enough yet.
I cooled my voice.
"You don't like it?"
I lowered my tone like I was disappointed. With our eyes locked in this moment, I shifted my expression bit by bit.
The more I hardened it, the paler Mary's face grew.
"Ah, uh, ah..."
Realizing her mistake too late, she shook her head frantically.
"...S-sorry. Sorry... sir..."
I hadn't even expected formal speech, but whatever.
I changed my expression back and stroked her head.
Mary's face showed she had no clue what was going on here.
I hugged her tight as praise. I didn't forget to activate the pheromones.
A pleasant scent wafted from my body, or so I'm told—I couldn't smell it.
But Mary's face definitely looked brighter than before.
"You always cursed at the tree caretaker too."
"...I didn't."
"Mary?"
"...I did. I cursed a lot..."
"So what should you do?"
"Say sorry... apologize?"
"Right. And watch their expressions."
They'd look surprised.
Like, what did this kid eat wrong? They might be stunned.
But if she showed consistent attitude changes every day without fail, their responses would soften too.
Some grumpy folks might stay prickly, but hardly anyone has the guts to act that way toward a tree.
"If you win people over like that, eventually even those who hated you will acknowledge you."
"So what changes?"
"Everything changes, kid. You'll have way more reasons to smile than when you were holed up alone in your room."
At that, Mary shook her head with a mournful face.
"That won't... happen."
"Why?"
"......Because I can't become a World Tree."
World Tree, huh.
Mary wiped her tears with her sleeve. Her eyes stung, scrunching her face.
"My branches are few... I'm short. My roots are shallow, so I can't be a World Tree."
"So they all ignore you for that?"
-Nod.
So that's the backstory.
Her inferiority complex wasn't baseless.
In times like this, empathy is the best choice.
"That must've been tough."
I tapped her head lightly, and she shook it vigorously.
"So you gotta work harder."
"...What's the point of trying here? My growth phase is over now..."
"Trees don't grow after the growth phase?"
"......They do."
Very slowly, but trees are different from humans.
Given enough time, they can always grow bigger.
They can root deeply. I knew why Mary despaired, but it was something she could overcome.
"Then do it."
"...But I might get expelled. The humans said so... Serves me right."
"So you're giving up?"
"...What do you want me to do?"
"Do it."
I had Tree Pills.
About four of them. I'd gotten lucky pulling for fertilizer and water.
But I had no intention of giving them. I didn't even know if they'd work on her that much.
Besides, teaching her the easy way first wasn't good.
Self-reliance comes first.
"You can't be scared of trying."
Mary whimpered.
"......They'll all think they don't wanna see my ugly face."
Quite some time had passed. Time to wrap up.
Thinking back, since we met here, Mary hadn't cursed once.
Maybe her heart was weak now, but this was probably her true nature.
Elementary kids pick up bad stuff online and call moms "orphan," but when real trouble hits... don't they wander lost?
"Not everyone will be like that."
"They all will..."
I brushed back Mary's sweaty bangs.
Her hair fell back, revealing the pale girl's face.
She'd cried so much, her skin was blotchy.
Trees in human form... their looks really are artworks.
As I stood from my seat, I tossed a word at the despairing Mary.
"I told you, say sorry honestly, and their attitudes will change."
"...You're saying that again... It won't happen..."
"Look, one's already changed."
Dealing with one kid is exhausting.
I added some exaggerated gestures, and Mary shut her mouth in shock.
Tears plopped from her cheeks as she stared at me.
Kids need visible change to move.
Give them a spark, and they run.
"Give it your all. If you get expelled anyway... come find me."
I couldn't serve her myself, but I could find someone to help her.
"...You'll... help me?"
But Mary misunderstood in another way, blinking rapidly.
"Yeah."
"......"
A few more tears fell.
No, it was a flood.
"Want some water?"
"...Yeah."
"Fertilizer?"
"......I wanna eat some."
Soothing successful. I'd planted some direction for her actions too.
Maybe I had a talent for childcare.
Feeling quietly proud inside, I tore open the remaining fertilizer bag and handed it to her.
I wondered how she'd eat it, but she fetched a spoon and shoveled it in greedily.
Amazing eating method.
People joke about eating dirt, but here was one actually scooping soil.
And way too fast, wolfing it down.
"Whoa, crazy. Did they starve you for a week? You'll get indigestion."
Anyone could see she'd get sick.
But she must've felt some unspoken affection from that.
"...Gulp, nom, smack, sob, waaah."
She started crying again.
"Jeez, really."
Handling kids is tough.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Lee Si-heon."
A night had passed.
The last day of the second trial.
Midway, the tree caretaker came once to take Mary away, but she threw a tantrum about staying just one day, so I had no choice but to let her spend the night.
I wanted to send her off ASAP, but the caretaker earnestly begged.
-...Sorry. Once she sets her mind, I can't stop her.
You sacrifice once.
Her face full of exhaustion as she said it—what could I do?
No schedule anyway, so I accepted, grumbling a bit instead of cheerfully.
In the end, nothing major happened.
Just soothing her cries, stroking her, minus the annoyance of her constantly plopping on my lap.
"What."
I answered Mary's question.
Now she bantered casually, no holds barred.
"...Lee Si-heon, you're special... I'll treat you like a tree."
Oh lord, not even a Wood Person, but a tree.
One rank up from Im Jong-hyun. That felt kinda good.
"Do whatever."
"......Ugh. Be happy about it. Be happy!"
"Happy. Very happy, ma'am."
She leaned her head on my stomach and headbutted playfully, threatening me.
My stomach hadn't been cool even once during the day with her perched there.
Every chance she got, lap, stomach. All that fuss—no wonder my clothes had butt prints.
She demanded a massage, but since she's a tree, I said it was impossible on that body, and she threw another fit.
Still, her personality had improved a ton.
From scheming curses every spare moment to no swearing and even being affectionate.
Sharing emotions brings people closer, and it applies to trees and humans too.
"...I'll try rooting down hard. Gotta be humans like you out there somewhere."
Maturing like that.
"Give it your best."
There were slip-ups though.
When she wailed desperately, hugging her to soothe her was the biggest mistake of the second trial.
Once she got a taste, she clung every chance.
Mary bounced on my lap, then turned and wrapped her arms around my neck.
Annoying, but I'd chalk it up to her way of showing thanks.
"Pat my back."
Her spoiled side hadn't budged an inch.
"Head too."
If she grew into a World Tree... hmm.
She might end up helping me somehow.
I decided to think positively.
Real positively.