Eat The World Tree

The finest quality wines were placed on the table one by one.

Seven bottles in total. Too much to finish in one night.

It piqued my curiosity since I rarely had the chance to try such alcohol, but it didn’t lift my mood.

“Smoked cheese, tuna canapés, almonds… Do you want strawberries?”

Maronnie, wearing a blue apron, asked me.

“Fruits are fine.”

The food to accompany the wine was all prepared personally by Blanche.

Not complicated dishes, but light finger foods easy to pick and eat.

“Should I prepare the fruits?”

I grabbed a few fruits from the refrigerator and brought them to my nose. Their aroma was quite refined.

The strawberries were almost fist-sized, too big for a single bite.

I washed and cleaned the strawberries and grapes, cut the bananas into bite-sized pieces, and plated them before placing them on the table.

The atmosphere at the quickly arranged table soon filled with warm air.

I hoped this warmth could ease the tangled awkwardness.

Pop!

The first wine cork was opened.

The aroma condensed in the bottle burst forth, blending into the air.

The scent tingled my nostrils, making my mouth water.

Even Maronnie, a National Tree, widened her eyes upon seeing the wine for the first time.

This must be the kind of drink even the wealthy rarely taste.

“Will it be okay to drink this?”

I asked Sansuyu as kindly as possible, in case she misunderstood.

Could she drink? I didn’t want to deal with complications later.

Although she had complained less about pain recently, alcohol wasn’t good for her body.

Especially since she hadn’t undergone healing for a few days now.

Sansuyu hesitated before answering.

“Probably.”

She should know her body best.

But that didn’t apply to Sansuyu.

Her dulled senses meant she couldn’t even tell when she was in pain.

“Really?”

Even after probing her once more, she didn’t change her answer.

Instead, she lowered her gaze slightly and asked me cautiously, as if accusing me.

“Do you not want me here?”

No, that was not how she should take it.

Blanche was shocked into silence, and my heart nearly stopped.

“That’s not what I meant. I’m just worried. You don’t have to drink to be here. It’s not like there’s a rule that says you must drink. Should I make you some tteokbokki?”

“…Every chance you get, you offer me tteokbokki.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Her love for tteokbokki had practically conditioned my mouth to say it.

But it seemed the misunderstanding was resolved, as Sansuyu held out her wine glass with a relieved expression.

“Then, just one glass.”

“Alright. You’re sure it’s okay, right?”

“You worry too much.”

Maybe one glass would be fine.

It had been quite some time since the Cornus experiments ended.

I wondered if I was being too lenient, but Sansuyu hated interference in her health.

Even so, I poured slightly less than the standard amount into her glass.

‘Hopefully, they didn’t spike this wine with anything funny.’

Despite the Sage’s comical image due to her teddy bear underwear, her slyness hadn’t changed.

After pouring wine for Maronnie, I took a sip myself.

A rich and sweet aroma clung to my tongue, slightly bitter yet pleasantly sweet.

After a brief moment of hesitation, no strange reactions occurred in my body.

It just felt like enjoying a truly delicious wine.

‘Guess I was overthinking.’

If someone had tampered with Sansuyu’s drink, I’d have seriously confronted them.

But at this level, one glass should be fine.

“It’s good, isn’t it?”

My reaction prompted the other two to take a sip as well.

It wasn’t long before they reacted.

“It’s sweet.”

“I think it’s my first time trying something like this.”

Even without savoring it carefully, gulping it down felt just as fine.

Of course, drinking like that might hit hard, but the taste was smooth and enjoyable.

Though I wasn’t a wine enthusiast, this one went down easily.

We silently sipped our drinks without much conversation.

Even Sansuyu, who often found luxurious food tasteless, seemed to enjoy this wine.

A sip with a refreshing green grape.

A sip with some savory almonds.

As we quietly savored the wine, I found myself glancing around.

Was this really how it was supposed to be?

The others seemed to feel the same, exchanging glances subtly.

Thinking back, why had we grown so distant?

Sansuyu might know, but Maronnie didn’t. Could it be because of the severed subordination? If so, did she resent me?

Before I could broach the subject, Blanche spoke first.

“…Hey.”

Placing her wine glass down, Maronnie looked at us hesitantly.

“Did you two fight?”

I hoped she wouldn’t bring it up, but perhaps it was better to ask outright than force a cheerful mood.

Her question reflected her thoughts.

“Uh, it’s nothing serious.”

“Anyone can see it’s serious. What happened? You two used to be close.”

I poured myself another glass of wine.

“It’s a bit complicated. It involves Sansuyu’s family. It’s not something I can easily share with others.”

Sansuyu nodded. It wasn’t appropriate to explain to Maronnie.

“…Then stop making those uneasy expressions, both of you.”

Blanche pouted her lips.

Another wave of awkwardness descended.

This uncomfortable air was unavoidable. Usually, time healed such things, but this gathering was forcibly arranged by the Sage.

We drank a few more glasses.

Once we were pleasantly tipsy, Maronnie, her face slightly flushed, finally spoke what was on her mind.

“You said you two became close naturally.”

“That’s right.”

“An ordinary human and a Tree Person. Is that even possible?”

Sansuyu was special, which made it possible.

Though there were more Tree People around me than humans, her family was so noble that most humans couldn’t even hold a conversation with them.

Somehow, she took an interest in me, and her lack of prejudice allowed us to grow close.

Even back then, my appearance was enough to unsettle even the kindest people.

“It’s like a fairytale.”

Such occurrences were rare.

Maronnie compared our relationship to a fairytale, emphasizing its rarity.

“She was kind.”

Although she lacked emotions, her character was commendable.

Smiling softly, I glanced at Sansuyu.

With alcohol in my system, I felt my heart easing.

Maybe now I could have an honest conversation with Sansuyu.

Just then, her head wobbled.

Thump!

I caught her before she fell.

Was she too weak for alcohol? Her flushed face left her unable to speak.

“Hey, that was close. See, this is why I worried.”

“Sion… sorry.”

It was a mistake to let her drink.

Though she seemed fine while drinking, the alcohol hit her fast.

“Let me put her to bed for a bit.”

“Okay.”

I helped Sansuyu to her bed, ignoring her slightly disheveled clothes, and covered her with a blanket.

After wiping the sweat from her face, I confirmed she was asleep and lightly used my healing power so subtly that she wouldn’t notice.

Hum!

The green energy emanating from my hand seeped into her, brightening her complexion.

This should be enough.

Feeling relieved, I pinched her cheek once before returning to the kitchen.

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah, I knew she couldn’t handle alcohol well, but maybe it’s worse because of her condition. We probably shouldn’t drink much more tonight.”

“Like we could finish all this anyway, haha.”

There was still too much food for just the two of us to finish.

“Enough is enough.”

Perched on the edge of the chair, I poured wine into my glass until it was full.

Tonight, I planned to drink until I got drunk—until my head spun and I started feeling sick.

I withdrew all the magic from my body, leaving myself defenseless against the alcohol.

-Gulp.

I filled my mouth with wine and swallowed it in two gulps without savoring it.

“Isn’t that… a bit too fast?”

“Sometimes, it’s fine.”

Maronnie gave me a peculiar look.

“How’s the food?”

“It’s good.”

Her genuine compliment brought a smile to my face.

Suddenly, a wine glass was held out to me.

“Want to toast?”

Clink! A cheerful sound echoed immediately.

The glasses collided, sending a ripple that slowly spread outward.

We took sips of wine and swallowed almost simultaneously.

The sweet flavor filled my mouth but didn’t linger—it was clean.

It felt like I could drink as much as I wanted.

As the dreamlike haze set in and I became absorbed in the buzz, Maronnie, drunk on wine, mumbled.

“When this trial ends, I’ll go back to being a National Tree.”

“Yeah. I’ll return to the academy… and Sansuyu—well, I’m not sure. There’s no need to talk about that now.”

“Honestly… I envy you two.”

“Envy us?”

“Yeah.”

It was something she always said.

“We have no freedom. Of course, you both have your own struggles… Maybe I’m saying this because I don’t understand.”

“I get it.”

Maronnie fiddled with her hands.

Like Sansuyu, it was hard to treat her as I normally would.

“National Trees… can’t express themselves.”

Her face, flushed from the alcohol, showed a rare vulnerability.

“It’s not just National Trees. Everyone lives like that—not as much as you, maybe. But everyone I know does.”

“That’s… not what I mean.”

Shaking her head firmly, she clenched her fists.

Maybe there were things she could only say now, leaning into the courage alcohol gave her.

Her deep eyes looked into mine.

Then, the words that came out of her mouth nearly made me drop my glass.

“…I can’t even tell you that I like you right now.”

Silence fell around us.

“I didn’t mishear you, right?”

“Do you wish I misspoke?”

“No, but…”

“I’m sorry… I tried to keep my distance.”

So that’s why she had been so cold recently.

To keep my composure, I sipped my wine.

Blanche stared at me for a long time before speaking in deliberate, halting Korean.

“…What do you think of me?”

Hearing her speak Korean, I realized just how lovely her voice was.

I was sure she could make most Koreans fall for her just by singing lullabies. Her sweet voice carried an undeniable warmth.

She was still bound by subordination.

A small sense of relief crept in, though I wasn’t sure why.

Still, I needed to respond.

“Right now, you—”

“I know. I’ve heard it so many times. Every time I try to get closer to you, you always say the same thing—that my feelings for you aren’t mine.”

“…That’s true.”

I was at a loss for words.

The Korean words spilling from her lips felt like something she had painstakingly prepared for this moment.

“Even if I told you I cherish these feelings… would you say the same thing?”

Alcohol was a powerful thing.

It had even emboldened this timid Maronnie to speak so boldly.

“It’s my first love.”

Her anxious yet unwavering eyes met mine.

I set my glass down.

Three bottles were already gone.

We were both drunk enough to forget this if we wanted to.

Maronnie, as if trying to erase her emotions, took another sip of wine.

“Blanche.”

She reacted to my voice, standing abruptly.

One step. Two steps. Slowly, she wobbled her way toward me.

Her staggering steps carried a boldness that said, Go ahead, say what you have to say.

I knew she liked me. She had shown it so blatantly, tossing and turning in bed, unable to hide it.

It was partly because of the subordination—it’s a feeling she couldn’t help.

But I couldn’t handle accepting emotions born from subordination.

That’s why I had told her before: If her feelings remained the same after the subordination broke, I’d accept them.

I thought it was a temporary solution, but maybe she didn’t see it that way.

She must have known.

She was asking me because she wasn’t sure if her feelings would remain once things returned to normal.

“No.”

I rejected her firmly.

At that moment, Maronnie lunged forward.

Within seconds, her lips crashed into mine.

The dam broke, and wine spilled between our mouths.

Her tongue, tasting of the potent wine, penetrated and wrapped around mine.

Tongues intertwined. Teeth scraped. Her hands cupped my cheeks, her eyes shut tight, and her ears flushed red.

Five minutes. Ten minutes. Or was it six?

Time blurred as my mind burned and grew hazy.

-Puhah.

Maronnie pulled back, looking at me with tearful eyes.

“I knew you’d say that.”

Tears fell.

“So, it’s impossible for me?”

-Thump.

“Because I’m a National Tree?”

Her shoulders shook. Her emotions spilled over.

It felt as though a piece of her attachment was peeling away.

With one last surge of emotion, Maronnie poured everything out.

“I love you.”

In that moment, the subordination binding her finally shattered.

Her strength of will was something I couldn’t help but respect.

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