Through the small window of the church, a small beam of light shone down over the beds that are lined up together.

“Everybody it’s morning. Get up and have breakfast in the dining hall!”

Our ‘Mother’ called loudly waking everyone up. Although she wore a strict face, mother was very gentle to everyone, and she is definitely loved by everyone.

“Mother, we’re going to the forest today to pick some Kukka fruits. Can we bring **** with us?”

Mentioning my name, they all looked at me stuffing myself with today’s breakfast. Mother then wore a worried expression.

“I don’t know, **** is too weak to go with you boys. He might just get tired before you even reached the forest.”

Hearing the reason they looked at me, I choked on the oats I was eating when I tried to defend myself. But contrary to my defenseless coughing, my ‘older brothers’ defended with all their might.

“Don’t worry mother! **** practiced running all this time so he can come with us!”

“Yeah! He was even able to beat me one time!”

“He’s able to draw water from the well too, so I’m sure he can come with us to the forest!”

“And… and… If he can’t walk anymore, we’ll take turns in carrying him!”

Seeing their determination to bring me with them, I was able to calm my coughing. Tears formed in the corner of my eyes feeling the concern they have for me.

“Mother…”

I spoke, walking towards my ‘older brothers’ and our dear ‘mother’.

“I’ll try it once. If I can’t go there by myself without help from brother ****** and the rest, then I won’t try to go anymore.”

“Yeah, so just this once mother! So please let **** come!”

Brother ****** tugged on mother’s habit and all the older boys begged mother to let me come.

Mother sighed deeply feeling overwhelmed with our joint attack, mother surrendered and allowed me to come with them.

Everybody cheered with such a small victory. That ‘I’, the weakest of the orphans was able to come and play with them in the forest.

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“Still asleep?”

She tapped my back while I sat in front of the glass wall staring at the pure white snow and reminiscing about my past life.

My saviour said her name was Beatrice. It was too long, she said, so she shortened it to Bea.

“What about you? What’s your name?”

I looked down in embarrassment as I shook my head. My mother didn’t have the energy to give me a name due to her weak constitution, that was why she was bedridden for weeks because she had a hard time with her pregnancy. Though she survived giving birth, she didn’t even have the energy to open her eyes.

I tried to remember my old name from my past life, but the memories were just bits and pieces. I can’t even remember my parents’ name clearly.

“I see. Well, let’s think of a name that will suit you.”

She patted my head lightly with a smile, making my heart itch again.

“You will need some clothes, no? C’mere, I’ll take your measurements.”

After taking my measurements, she sewed a couple of shirts and pants for me to wear and a warm winter coat that was made from beast’s fur.

“Wear my boots, for now, I have small feet but it will still be a bit big. We’ll buy some boots after winter passes and I’ll make some more clothes later on, so just wear this for now, ‘kay?”

She said giving me her spare boots.

After days of following her around her house, I noticed that she lived deep in God’s forest where I was sent to… or thrown...

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I just want to know why were you in the middle of this forest during a cold winter night.”

She asked worriedly, it’s not something to hide so I told her everything.

“God sent an oracle to bring me here.”

Once they realized the oracle was about me, everyone assumed that I was to be a sacrifice, so grandfather was glad to get rid of trash like me. I was then left to wander into the forbidden forest alone in a cold winter night.

“I see. Thanks for telling me.”

She patted my head with a wry smile on her face. My heart always feels itchy for some reason.

“Well then, you can walk with those boots, right? Let’s go out, I need to show you something or… to someone…?”

After saying so, she packed some sandwiches, tea leaves, a kettle and a bundle of firewood. Then, we wrapped ourselves with our warm coats and walked through the forest.

“Hey, what about ‘Arthur’? It’s a king’s name from my home… hmmm… country…?”

Home country? Why was that a question?

“Or maybe Ying Zheng (嬴政)?”

“Ying... Cheng...?”

“It’s hard to say huh? Well, I’m not that good with names, let’s ask my friend then.”

We walked on the cold crunching snow until we reached a snowy paved road. It was too narrow to fit a carriage but was wide enough for three people to walk on. We walked side by side on the road but it feels embarrassing somehow, then I heard a giggle beside me, washing over my embarrassment.

“Reminds me of the day I first made this road.”

“This… road? You made it?”

While we walked, she held my hand and told me the story.

“You see, I was asked by a friend, to live his this forest under his protection. Though, I think he just wants company because he was lonely and he provided me with almost everything.”

She said that she came from a faraway place, and after a long angry discussion, she ended up living here.

Her friend then decided to help her and taught her a lot of things that are not common from her hometown.

Then as training, she was told to create this road so it’ll be easier for her to visit.

I stopped to think who that friend was that’s living in God’s forest but I also wondered what her hometown was like. Now that she mentions it, she looks very different from any locals I’ve ever seen, not that I’ve seen much but even comparing from my previous life, her features look unfamiliar.

“What was your hometown like?”

As soon as I asked she stopped. She looked at me dumbfounded then confused. It’s amusing how she can change her expressions so quickly.

“Well… how do I put this… I never thought I’d be asked about my hometown.”

She laughed and with nostalgia in her eyes, she said words I’ve never heard before.

“My country is very advanced compared to any country in this world…? and instead of magic, we have science and technology.”

“Sayans? Teknologi?”

“Well, you don’t need to worry about it too much. It’s an almost impossible place to visit so it’ll be like a legend or myth.”

An advanced country... How advanced is it compared to this country? Well, not that I would know, I’ve been stuck in the attic my whole life.