TGHB 45

Chapter – 45

I had postponed talking about the reward.

“Can I talk about the reward later? After fixing all the trees here? Hmm… in about 2 weeks?”

“Well, sure. As you wish.”

“Yes. Thank you, Harabuji. Hehe.”

I did have a reward in mind, but I thought it would be better to talk about it after building up more achievements than right away.

Yeah, that’s what I thought, but-.

‘…Should I have just said it back then?’

It was my 13th day of getting my attendance stamp at the greenhouse.

I was slightly regretting my choice that day.

Ever since the day of the vassals’ meeting, I had been rushing here every day to heal the trees with my power.

The work was smooth.

The trees were small, and using my power daily made me more proficient at handling it.

So, I thought I could easily finish this task without any problems, but-.

‘…Sigh. What is this?’

A problem had occurred.

And a very big one at that.

The trees I had properly fixed with my power were starting to wilt again.

‘They look more wilted today than yesterday.’

I sullenly fidgeted with the yellowish leaves.

“Onabeoni, I think these ones are getting wilted again…?”

“Yeah. A little?”

“…Hng.”

“Ah, no! But it really seems only a little wilted! No one will notice this much, right?!”

Seeing my sullen look, Louis flusteredly changed his words in a hurry.

“Really…?”

“Yeah! Really.”

“…Pretty sure people will notice.”

“Uuuuugh. Hmm, honestly, that might be true.”

…I wish you’d just stick to either being honest or not.

I let out another deep sigh.

‘Why are they dying again?’

Of course, I could fix them again with my power, but-.

‘I can’t keep repeating this forever.’

Based on my pre-regression experience, using power on living things strangely slows their growth.

Once or twice is fine, but using it more than that would hinder growing and selling the trees.

“I should find out the reason…”

“Then, shall we go to the library together? There might be something there.”

“Mhm. Okay.”

I took Louis’s outstretched hand and left the greenhouse.

I plodded along, following him, when I suddenly realized we weren’t going in the usual direction.

“But why are we going this way? Isn’t it the opposite way?”

“Ah, this way is faster to the library. There’s a shortcut this way.”

“Ooh!”

At my exclamation, Louis smiled proudly.

“Come on, let’s go!”

“Okay!”

I walked along following Louis.

‘Wow. It’s the path that comes out behind the greenhouse.’

It was my first time coming to the back of the greenhouse.

Since the greenhouse was so big, I never thought to walk all the way around the building like this.

As it was my first time here, I opened my eyes wide and looked around curiously.

“…What’s that?”

My gaze was captured by a large tree I had never seen before.

“That tree, you mean?”

“Yeah. It’s super big, but it looks wilted too.”

“That’s Grandmother’s tree.”

“Grandmother’s tree?”

“Yeah. It was a tree Grandmother cherished while she was alive. Want to see it up close?”

Nod nod.

Louis and I approached the tree.

Seeing it up close, the tree’s condition was even more severe.

As soon as I cautiously placed my hand on it.

“Whoaaaaah!”

The tree bark crumbled and fell off in pieces.

I recoiled and brushed my hand off.

Ew, feels scratchy.

“This tree has been like this since I was little.”

“Really?”

“Yep. Grandfather tried everything to save it, but they all failed, they say. So it’s still in this state. It’s not dead, but barely hanging on.”

Louis’s expression looked somewhat bitter as he said that.

“I… wish this tree wouldn’t die.”

Ah, this.

‘He must be thinking of his mom.’

Come to think of it, Louis’s mother and this tree had a lot in common.

Both were barely alive, but that was all.

“O-Onabeoni.”

“Yeah, squirt.”

“Do… do you think you could fix this?”

“…What?”

At my words, Louis blinked and asked back.

I sniffled my dry nose and continued.

“I’ve been training my power these days, so if I do well, I might be able to. If I fix this, I think Harabuji would like it. And-.”

Yeah, and.

“And… and Onabeoni would like it too, right? Right?”

Instantly, Louis’s eyes flew wide open.

The answer didn’t come back immediately.

Louis, moving his lips a couple of times, bravely nodded his head.

“…Right. I would be really happy too.”

Louis already knew that my power didn’t work on people.

When I told him about my power.

I had quickly told him then, worried he might hold onto meaningless hope.

But, still.

‘I can at least comfort him this much with my power.’

A tree resembling Lady Siera becoming healthy again.

Just seeing that would be a comfort to Louis.

With a tense heart, I placed both hands on the tree.

Honestly, it was my first time using my power on such a large tree, so I was a little nervous.

‘Can I do it well?’

Yes. I can do it!

I’ve been diligently honing my power until now.

And strangely, my condition feels good too.

For some reason, I had a strange conviction that I would succeed in one go.

I took a deep breath and began to use my power.

Soon, a bright light began to emanate from my fingertips.

It wasn’t just my imagination that my condition was good; the light from my hands seemed brighter than usual today.

‘This is definitely a success!’

Just as I was confirming it again.

Whoooosh—!

“……?!”

An unknown, pure white light surged before my eyes.

A light similar to but different from the light emitted when using my power.

Startled, I shut my eyes tight without even screaming.

And in that moment.

Scenes began to flood chaotically into my mind.

A verdant tree swayed in the wind.

Whoooosh—.

The sound of leaves rustling in the breeze washed over like waves.

Under the large tree sat a woman.

With a small piece of paper and a pen in her hand.

Soon, a small girl came running toward the woman.

“Mommy!”

The girl, beaming, threw herself into the woman’s embrace.

The woman, smiling tenderly, patted the back of her daughter, who was acting cute.

Following that, a boy toddling unsteadily also appeared.

“Mommy.”

The babbling child who called for mommy also plopped into her arms.

“My daughter. My son.”

Her calling voice was full of love.

“Mommy, are you writing a letter today too? A letter for Daddy?”

At her daughter’s question, the woman slowly nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. I was writing a letter.”

“It’s a secret letter, right?!”

“Yes. A secret letter.”

“Won’t you just whisper to Ciena where you’re going to hide it?”

At the girl’s sparkling eyes, the woman smiled and placed her index finger on her lips.

“Shh. It’s a secret, so I can’t. I’ll hide it in a place only Mommy knows.”

“That’s not fair!”

“Haha. I’ll write something for our Ciena and Conti too, so after Daddy returns from his territory inspection, let’s find them together and read them. Okay?”

At the woman’s kind voice, the girl rolled her eyes.

Her pouting expression lasted only a moment.

“Hmm. Yes! I like treasure hunts!”

“Yike , yike.”

The boy stutteringly followed his sister’s energetic reply.

Finding that adorable, the girl giggled and took her little brother’s hand to pull him up.

“Since Mommy has to write her letter, let’s go over there and play!”

“Ok.”

The woman smiled a tender smile at the sight of the two children walking away hand in hand.

The wind blows.

Rustle rustle.

Green leaves flutter in the wind.

A peaceful, warm spring day.

Under the shade of a large tree.

“It’s done.”

The woman, having stopped her pen, smiled a proud smile as she looked at the completed letter.

She neatly folded the letter and placed it into a small box she had brought.

Then, she pushed it into a small crevice in the tree she was leaning against.

“I wonder when they’ll be able to find it.”

Her playful voice held a note of anticipation.