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Chapter 2
It sounds ridiculous, but from the moment I was born, I possessed an extraordinarily strong affinity with nature.
“Later, Eliaye told me it was because my soul had crossed over from another world…”
But as someone who, back in that “other world” called Earth, contributed my tiny share as one of 8 billion people destroying nature, it was an explanation that sounded more like a bad joke.
Look, I know my sins very well.
If a person like me, who lived year-round with air conditioners and heaters running, has such powerful affinity with nature, then shouldn’t the people of this world basically be nature itself?
As much as I couldn’t understand it, the fact remained—my affinity was absurdly strong.
It was frustrating, even ridiculous, but what could I do? That’s how it was.
However, I was a complete orphan, utterly alone in the world.
I had been forced into an orphanage, where I received cheap care with cheap supplies. The staff there didn’t even bother to take care of the children to the extent of the salaries they were paid; instead, they were more concerned with pocketing bonuses by skimming little by little from the budget.
In other words, they were nibbling away at the orphanage’s funds like rats.
Now imagine those money-obsessed caretakers discovering my extraordinary affinity with nature.
“Wow… I can already see myself being squeezed dry down to the bone…”
That would mean my life would take a dive straight into the gutter.
“No way. I refuse to live like that.”
From then on, I kept my powers tightly hidden while waiting for the perfect chance to escape the orphanage.
In doing so, I learned a few important things.
First, my beloved Harnen was the same age as me.
Second, a few years later, the Atlanta Academy would send inspectors to visit the orphanages.
Atlanta Academy, established in the Elberk Empire, was the continent’s greatest educational institution.
With the principle that “anyone with talent, regardless of birth, has the right to be educated”, the Academy visited orphanages and slums across the nation every five years.
The reason orphan-reincarnated Harnen was able to enroll in Atlanta Academy was entirely thanks to this system.
Once I learned this, I gained two clear goals.
First: enroll in Atlanta Academy and live an amazing life with my extraordinary affinity for nature.
Second: get close to Harnen and help complete the revenge of my precious, cherished, beloved Harnen!
“If the soda’s gone flat, then I’ll just provide the carbonation myself!”
Clenching my fists, I roared my determination.
For Harnen, for Harnen’s sake, and for revenge carried out by Harnen and me together!
My plan went smoothly.
Hiding my power until the Academy’s people came, I revealed it at just the right moment, flipped the orphanage upside down, and was accepted into the Academy.
Once enrolled, with the devotion of a true fan, I became close with Harnen.
After my affinity with nature reached its peak, I even made a contract with the Water Spirit King, Eliaye.
After graduation, I worked as a spirit mage directly under the imperial palace, earning plenty of money while supporting Harnen, my life soaring higher and higher.
As a bonus, I even gained the trust of Duke Serenia Arkes, Harnen’s superior and the secret mastermind in the original story, pulling him over completely to our side.
“…I like you. A lot, really.”
“I—I’m sorry!”
…Well, at least until that embarrassing incident.
“Haah…”
Shaking off the memory, I turned again to look quietly at the child before me.
The child awoke just after I had gone to the market to buy food and some clothes for him.
Without any warning, he sat bolt upright, gasping for breath.
I quickly set down the washcloth I had been dipping in cool water and leaned closer to him.
“Are you awake now? How do you feel?”
At my voice, the child, who had been scanning the walls in confusion, froze.
Slowly, his head turned toward me.
The moment our eyes met, I couldn’t help but let out a small gasp.
Clear red eyes, like drops of transparent wine.
I blinked in a daze, only to snap out of it when I noticed the child flinch.
I quickly softened my silver eyes into a warm smile and gently introduced myself.
“Ah, my name is Einra.”
“…”
“And you are?”
In that moment, the child’s face suddenly twisted in pain.
Alarmed, I reached my hand toward him to check if he was hurt.
“Are you—”
Smack.
The child flinched and instinctively slapped my hand away.
My wrist throbbed, and I instinctively grabbed it with my other hand. At the same time, the child jerked in surprise and turned his head away, as if ashamed.
R-right… a stranger suddenly reaching out like that must be uncomfortable. Hah, looks like you’re quite shy around strangers.
I laughed awkwardly and slowly pulled my body back.
“Alright, I won’t touch you without asking. Sorry.”
“…”
“By the way, weren’t you really sick just this morning? How are you now? Do you feel better?”
The child gave no reply, just a small nod, eyes still full of wariness.
Looks like the healing magic worked. I let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. I was really worried.”
“…”
Maybe he’s just shy, or maybe something still hurts.
Since I didn’t know anything about him, I kept talking.
“Hey, do you have a home somewhere? It’s fine if it’s far. If you tell me where, I can contact your parents. Or even take you back myself.”
Once again, the child stayed silent, lowering his gaze instead.
He stared at his hands, then at the clothes he was wearing as the blanket slipped down.
Realizing his gaze, I quickly pulled out the new clothes I had bought.
“Ah, right, I almost forgot! Want to change into these? I didn’t want to force anything on you, so I waited until you woke up.”
“…”
The child glanced at the clothes but turned his head away.
I thought I even heard him sigh.
Flustered, I grabbed more clothes out of the shopping bag.
“If you don’t like those, there are others too!”
Pants, skirts, dresses, cardigans, culottes, even a little Rococo-style gown.
With money to spare and no idea of the child’s taste, I had just bought one of everything.
But each time I showed one, he looked away, until finally he just closed his eyes altogether.
“Eh? Y-you don’t like them…?”
“…You.”
“Hm?”
His lips moved as if to speak, then closed again.
After a pause, he spoke slowly.
“…I’m a boy.”
“…What?”
“Not a girl.”
My mouth fell open in shock.
I was so surprised that I didn’t even process how strange it was for a child his age to use such an adult way of addressing me—“you.”
“S-sorry!”
I hurriedly stuffed the clothes back into the bag.
Even the pants here were decorated with frills or ribbons, so no wonder he disliked them.
“Uh… for now, would you wear these? I’ll buy you new clothes later.”
I offered him the plainest shirt and pants I had bought, with the fewest frills.
He stared at them for a moment, sighed softly, then picked them up.
“…Thank you for the trouble.”
His mature reply made me chuckle awkwardly.
He really does speak like an adult.
“Come to think of it, he called me ‘you’ earlier too, didn’t he?”
Could he be from a noble family?
It was a reasonable guess.
At the Academy, noble children often tried hard to speak in a refined, adult-like manner from a young age.
And looking closely, his ragged clothes—though now dirty and torn—were actually made from high-quality fabric.
“Children should just grow up like children…”
Clicking my tongue inwardly at the thought, I sighed.
After taking the clothes from me, he soon came back dressed.
His small hand fidgeted with the frilly, pale-pink shirt he still wore.
Watching him, I smiled warmly and asked another question.
“By the way, if it’s alright, could you tell me your name?”
His hand froze mid-motion.
Blinking slowly, the child raised his head.
