Eat The World Tree

Blanche needed to understand love!

The World Tree of Healing had urged Marronie to find love until the end. It was practically a sin to live without experiencing love. Several times, it had pushed her to find someone she liked.

‘Love.’

What exactly was love?

Foolishly, she had almost no memory of loving someone. She hadn’t even had the chance to. She never thought about loving anyone.

‘What does love taste like?’

Marronie, sitting on a bench, drank grape-flavored Wilches and peered into the can. Was love sweet and fizzy like this? Or was it bitter, like the burnt crust of toast? Romance movies didn’t always end happily. Some surely ended in tragedy. Maybe it was better not to love anyone at all if that’s the case. How could you know what love was if you had never experienced it? Wasn’t love something that naturally came to you? Telling her to bring someone she liked all of a sudden was just overwhelming.

“Ugh.”

Love, yes, love. She’d love it if there was someone to love. What’s so great about it that people raved about it? She wanted to find out for herself.

Like the heroine of a fairy tale, dressed in a wedding gown, being saved by a dashing knight, and living happily ever after together. It was a dream every girl in France had once embraced.

Every night, she hugged a teddy bear, waiting for her knight to come, glancing out the window every minute, only to fall asleep before 1 a.m.

-Mother.

-Yes?

-When will the knight come?

-Heh, Blanche, you’re so funny. Are you really that eager to meet the knight?

-I want to meet him before I become an adult!

Her own knight.

Marronie had believed in Santa Claus and knights until she was seventeen. It was her own secret, one she had never told anyone. If that ever got out, she might just lose her will to live.

“Sigh…”

A deep breath escaped her lips.

“What’s wrong?”

Lee Shiheon spoke from a nearby bench. Marronie glanced over at his masked face.

‘…A prince on a white horse, huh.’

This guy wasn’t it. Not a prince on a white horse, but a scoundrel on a lecherous steed. He was far from the type of person she’d ever dream of, and someone she could never love. After all… He hadn’t just taken her purity but had treated her like a plaything all day. Even if she somehow loved this guy, it wouldn’t be pure love. It would just be lust without any true emotion.

Lee Shiheon’s mask. The face behind it. His scent. His touch. The rough texture of his skin.

Thump.

Marronie rubbed her heated cheeks with both hands.

Flush.

Her face turned red.

“Ugh.”

…It was happening again.

Her heart beat every time she saw his face. Her body reacted. Just being near him made her breathing shallow, and her heart pound. Her cheeks felt hot. After meeting him, she couldn’t sleep that night because she kept thinking about it.

“…Hey.”

“What?”

But.

That’s why she was more curious. Did he know what love was? If so, what did he think of it?

He didn’t seem like the type to understand love, seeing women as nothing but objects. But still, they had gotten closer recently, and she trusted he would answer honestly.

“What… is love?”

Marronie’s sudden question created an awkward atmosphere due to her blushing cheeks. Lee Shiheon’s face stiffened like stone. What nonsense was she spouting all of a sudden? It was time to think seriously.

“…What are you talking about out of nowhere?”

“Oh, come on! There’s a reason. Just answer me. What is it?”

It felt like an old movie scene, the kind that followed a scripted pattern. The kind of cringey scene that belonged in the 80s or 90s, full of over-the-top emotions. But those lines only worked when the mood and setting were right.

“Why are you bringing this up when we’re talking about flowers?”

“…It just came to mind.”

“From looking at flowers?”

“I have no one in mind. End of story.”

That put an end to it. Shiheon tilted his head, lost in thought for a moment.

“Do you have someone you like?”

“No.”

What was love? Shiheon was thrown into a dilemma by Marronie’s sudden question, unsure how to respond. But he couldn’t just ignore it either. He searched his memories and realized he had a standard after all.

“I can’t say for sure, but maybe if you’d die for someone, you could call that love.”

The values he’d formed starting with Lee Seyeong and Jin Dallae. Marronie nodded slightly at Shiheon’s answer. It was a pretty solid standard. Someone worth dying for. But if that’s the case, does that mean a national tree would have to die for France? Does that imply unconditional love?

When she mentioned that, Shiheon grimaced.

“Nah, it’s not like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain…”

Shiheon scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. His expression… no, never mind. Marronie stared at Shiheon’s face and burst out laughing, feeling a little absurd.

“…So, you do think about things like that?”

“Of course, I do.”

He had several girlfriends, after all.

“Have you never experienced anything like that?”

At Shiheon’s question, Marronie bit her lip and glared at him.

“…You know from that time.”

She never had the experience.

“Ah.”

Shiheon bowed his head in quiet reflection, recalling how she had lost her virginity without love. They pretended as if it never happened, but the memory still lingered in their bodies. Though their memories were hazy, their bodies knew. Marronie couldn’t even touch Shiheon. If she did, it might result in another disaster like before.

….

As the topic returned to the past, a deep silence settled between them.

No matter how far things went last time…

…Wasn’t she moving too fast?

“This time, you helped me, so I’ll help you with your trial.”

Just for that reason?

“Aren’t we in this together?”

Searching for the flower—that phrase lingered, but strangely, the rest of Shiheon’s words didn’t quite reach Marronie’s ears.

Thump, thump.

Her heart hurt. Her head felt dizzy.

“…O-okay. Got it.”

Marronie, who was even stuttering, nodded her head. Her ears were so hot they felt like they were burning. Maybe it was time to start preparing. The toes inside her shoes wiggled.

She found herself laughing at her sudden thoughts.

Really, was she…

No, that’s not it.

Why was she thinking like this about a guy like him?

“Oh, but let’s set it for about three days later.”

“…Why?”

“Huh?”

“No, why?”

Shiheon, startled by Marronie’s somewhat rough reaction, quickly corrected his expression.

“I’ll be skipping the second trial soon anyway.”

Just like Marronie, Shiheon was also going through his second trial. Their mutual interests had continued up until now. With fertilizer, water, and constant massages, he had first taken control of the upper branches. The second trial involved taking control of the body. He had left his presence embedded in the tree named Merri.

“After that, I’ll have some free time, so let’s do it then.”

His dating simulation was steadily nearing its conclusion.

[…It feels refreshing.]

“Feels good, right?”

[Yeah. For a human, you’re pretty decent.]

Merri, who was receiving a massage, happily stretched her branches. It was akin to a human stretching their body after a good rest. The massages had gradually increased in frequency, to the point where she now demanded four or five sessions a day.

Once in the morning. Twice during lunch. Twice in the evening. Once at dawn. She didn’t consider my schedule at all, calling me whenever she felt like it, solely because it made her feel good.

-…Lee Shiheon?

-Yes.

-Lady Merri is calling for you.

Even if I was asleep, I had to jump up and get ready immediately. I had to be superhuman in front of Merri, always in top condition, no matter when she called. I always wore a friendly smile so she wouldn’t realize how much I was pushing myself.

“Does the water taste good today?”

[Hmm~ If only all humans were like you, wouldn’t that be nice?]

High praise.

[Take care of my leaves.]

The more she relied on me, the larger the void would feel in her absence.

[…My roots are feeling a bit itchy. And I’m getting a little thirsty too.]

With utmost sincerity. If I kept doing this, eventually the moment would come.

[Fertilizer? Lee Shiheon~ Lee Shiheon!]

The opportunity was coming.

Swoosh.

Just like this.

As I saw the pure white magical stamp falling between the branches, a smile spread across my face.

“Uh… Lady Merri, what is this?”

Merri glanced at the stamp nonchalantly and smiled. At this point, there was no hint of disdain in her. But it was already too late. If she had acted like this from the start, I would’ve approached things in a more normal manner.

[Oh, that? It’s nothing special. It’s a stamp for passing the trial.]

“…So, that means…”

[Oh, your friend. Lim Jonghyun passed.]

It was a little over a week ago when I encountered that stamp. Up until now, I had been doing everything for her: catering to her tastes, giving massages, providing nourishment, and even taking care of her roots. I was so much better than the assigned caretaker that she called for me at every opportunity.

Yes, this was the moment.

The perfect time to express my displeasure.

“…Is that so?”

I responded with a voice filled with shock, trembling at the end of my words. I acted to make myself seem as pitiful and anxious as possible, hoping it would be unsettling for her.

[Yeah~ If you do well, who knows? Maybe you’ll get something like that too.]

Merri still hadn’t grasped the seriousness of the situation. If that’s a talent, then it’s her talent. I removed my mask, my face pale, my hands trembling. I acted as if I had just suffered a great humiliation.

Still, I didn’t stop what I was doing. Just a little less enthusiastically. I finished the task half-heartedly.

[…Hmm?]

Around that point, Merri began to sense something was off.

[What’s wrong with you? Why are your hands so weak?]

“…It’s nothing.”

[What, are you upset because I let your friend pass?]

That’s it. I wanted her to notice that.

Once she did, Merri would be annoyed and speak in a tone that would destroy all the goodwill she had built up until now.

[Ha, you’re ridiculous. You’re upset over something like that? Can someone inferior like you even feel that way?]

I stayed silent. This time, I didn’t respond at all.

[Hey.]

I didn’t even meet her gaze.

[Hey!]

Merri’s voice grew louder.

[This is insane, isn’t it? Hey.]

[You’re funny. That guy is chosen. You’re not. Ha, I thought you were a cut above the rest of the humans. Turns out you’re just one of them. Did you know that? Are you listening?!]

Timing it right, I lowered my head slightly. At that point, Merri must have thought I’d calmed down. Her branches shook triumphantly.

“…It seems I can’t satisfy you, Lady Merri.”

I said in a defeated tone.

[…Huh? What?]

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to make you happy… but.”

[Hey, what are you-]

“…I’m sorry. It’s just my inferiority complex.”

Still, I didn’t stop what I was doing. I packed up the water container, slung the empty fertilizer bag over my shoulder, and left the room.

Merri, stunned, didn’t say a word. That was enough.

‘Now the rest… is freedom.’

She would start panicking on her own. Only when someone was gone did they realize their value. This was the perfect lesson for an oblivious young lady.