My little one is the daughter of the main characters

Life in the forest continued peacefully despite occasional incidents. Each morning, So-Yeon and Ellie returned to their usual routines: gathering herbs, studying, and taking care of the house. The forest around them lived its own life. The singing of birds blended with the whispers of the wind in the tree branches, and sometimes the creaking of old trunks sounded as if the trees were talking to each other.

The quiet rustling of leaves on the ground hinted at small animals cautiously foraging for food. The air was filled with the scent of pine, the freshness of dew, and a faint bitterness from wild herbs. Yet, even in this idyllic setting, there was a subtle undertone of unease. Sometimes, everything fell silent too abruptly. So-Yeon would tense up, listening to the unnatural quiet. Her heart would start to beat faster, as if warning of danger. The wind carried a scent that made her wary — a mix of damp wood and ash, as though something was lurking nearby. Occasionally, the distant crack of branches broke the silence. It felt like someone was carefully making their way through the dense thicket. The sound wasn't loud, but sharp enough to put her on edge. The birds would instantly go quiet, and an oppressive silence would envelop the forest, like an invisible shroud. The wind brought strange smells: damp earth, smoldering leaves. So-Yeon noticed every small detail, peering tensely into the dense foliage, but she saw nothing. In those moments, the forest seemed not just quiet, but alert, as if it too was waiting for something ominous.

"Today, we'll be learning new arithmetic rules," So-Yeon announced, opening a handmade notebook. Her voice was cheerful, but deep down, she couldn't shake her unease. "Why does she learn so easily? Or am I choosing tasks that are too simple?" she wondered, all the while noting how effortlessly Ellie followed her explanations.

Ellie sat across from her with a charcoal pencil, replying enthusiastically, "Okay, Aunt So-Yeon! I'm ready to become the smartest kid in this forest! Although, it seems I don't have any competition yet."

So-Yeon assigned problems that would be considered basic in her world, like simple addition or proportions. "If you have three baskets, and each basket has five apples, how many apples do you have in total?" she asked. Ellie barely waited for her to finish the question.

"Fifteen, Aunt So-Yeon!" she replied without hesitation. Her speed was astonishing.

"You don't even have to think about solving them?" So-Yeon asked, amazed.

Ellie sheepishly rubbed her nose. "It's easy, Auntie!" she said, her eyes sparkling with joy. "When you explain it, everything seems so simple, like a game! And I love games, especially when I can win."

So-Yeon smiled but felt a twinge of worry. She often wondered if she was teaching Ellie the right way. She understood that this knowledge could play a crucial role in the girl's future. In a world full of unknowns and dangers, the ability to think logically, solve problems, and understand the properties of plants could mean not just survival but also a path to a better life. So-Yeon hoped her lessons would help Ellie not just survive but someday change the world around her.

"I don't know what they teach children in this world," she thought, "but I must give her the best knowledge I can." She worried that introducing too complex topics might overwhelm the girl, but Ellie handled them so effortlessly it seemed almost natural for this world. "Maybe I'm overthinking things? Or overestimating my methods?"

After arithmetic, they moved on to botany lessons. So-Yeon showed Ellie various plants, explaining their properties with great care. Sometimes, her voice trembled slightly from nervousness.

"What if I'm wrong? Maybe this knowledge doesn't fit the rules of this world? Or, on the contrary, it's so new it will cause confusion?" But every reaction from Ellie — her shining eyes and eagerness to learn more — reassured So-Yeon that she was on the right path. Still, doubts crept in: "What if this knowledge is too specific for this world? Will it even be useful here? Or am I preparing her for something I don't fully understand myself?" Yet, every time Ellie enthusiastically took notes or asked unexpected questions, So-Yeon felt a quiet pride: "Maybe it's not all in vain. Maybe I really am doing something important."

"This is chamomile. It helps with stomach pain. And if you mix it with this powder…"

"Can you make an ointment for wounds?" Ellie interrupted, her eyes alight with interest. "And we'll call it 'Ellie's Ointment!' So everyone will know who invented it."

So-Yeon blinked. "How do you know that?"

"You told me about it before," Ellie said with a smile.

So-Yeon shook her head. Ellie not only remembered but also connected new knowledge with what she'd learned before.

Sometimes they played checkers or solved logic puzzles. These activities helped Ellie develop strategic thinking. So-Yeon tried not to show her unease to the girl, but her gaze often wandered to the window, watching for any signs of movement outside the house. One day, during a game of checkers, Ellie found herself in a tough spot — her pieces were surrounded.

She studied the board intently, furrowed her brow, and suddenly made a move that saved her position. So-Yeon was surprised. "You just saved your game! How did you figure that out?" Ellie shyly replied, "I just thought it's better to sacrifice one piece than to lose everything." That moment showed how the games were helping Ellie learn to make calculated decisions.

"If someone has two choices, and both are bad, what should they do? Or can they just choose a third, unexpected option?" So-Yeon once asked, her voice quiet and thoughtful. She looked at Ellie, waiting to hear the young girl's perspective on such a difficult question.

"Pick the one that hurts others the least," Ellie answered after a long pause, her face serious beyond her years. She moved a piece on the board and then quietly added, "Even if it hurts you the most."

So-Yeon stared at her in amazement.

Ellie learned quickly, often asking unexpected questions.

"Aunt So-Yeon, if I mix this herb with another one, will it make something new?" she asked, holding a sprig of sage.

"Maybe. Shall we try?" So-Yeon offered.

They experimented, discovering new properties of plants. So-Yeon explained how combining two herbs could amplify or neutralize their effects. But her words were often accompanied by inner doubts: "Should I even share this? What if Ellie someday uses this knowledge for harm? Or… what if she saves someone's life?" These thoughts both frightened and inspired her.

One sunny day, as they prepared to gather herbs, Ellie asked, "Why do we need so many baskets?"

"Just in case," So-Yeon replied evasively, her voice calm, but her eyes quickly scanned the edge of the forest. "Better safe than sorry," she thought, remembering how bandits had once appeared suddenly, shattering their fragile peace.

They wandered among the trees, stopping at various bushes and thickets. So-Yeon pointed out which leaves were useful and which should be avoided. Ellie listened attentively, though her gaze often wandered to butterflies and bright flowers in the distance.

***The Discovered Treasure

They wandered among the trees, stopping at various bushes and thickets. So-Yeon pointed out which leaves were useful and which were better avoided. Ellie listened attentively, though her gaze often wandered toward butterflies and bright flowers.

"Aunt So-Yeon!" the girl suddenly exclaimed, jumping so high she nearly dropped her basket. "Look! This is the most beautiful flower I've ever seen!"

So-Yeon turned toward the voice and saw a plant with delicate pinkish-lilac petals, grouped into a neat bud. The flower was almost invisible among the ordinary weeds, but Ellie had somehow spotted it.

"Hm…" So-Yeon squinted, carefully examining the plant. "I think I've seen this before… Wait, is it… Oh no, could it really be?!"

She studied the stem and leaves closely before slapping her forehead.

"It can't be! This is… Leonuria!"

"Leo-what?" Ellie repeated, wrinkling her nose and trying to mimic the strange word. "It sounds like the name of some important baron!"

"Leonuria!" So-Yeon said with a serious face, then gasped theatrically, pressing her hands to her cheeks. "In my world, this plant was worth its weight in gold! It was used to heal wounds, reduce fever, and practically treat every illness!"

Ellie tilted her head, a slight smile on her face.

"And here it just grows by itself?"

"All over the forest, judging by these patches!" So-Yeon exclaimed, quickly glancing around. Sure enough, similar bushes were growing a few steps away, hidden among the grass.

"That's amazing! Can we collect it and sell it?" Ellie's eyes sparkled. "Imagine, Auntie, we'll be market celebrities! They'll call us the 'Herb Queens!'"

"Can we?!" So-Yeon laughed loudly, then leaned closer to Ellie and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Ellie, we're future duchesses! Picture it: palaces, grand balls… and all thanks to this little plant!"

Ellie burst into giggles, even though she didn't fully understand why her aunt was so animated.

So-Yeon began carefully — but quickly — cutting a few flowers, ensuring she didn't damage the neighboring stems. Her hands moved confidently, but the sudden snap of a branch made her freeze. She lifted her head sharply and looked around, but saw nothing. "Maybe it's just an animal?" she thought, but the tension in her shoulders remained. She treated each flower as a treasure, placing them gently in the basket to avoid crushing the petals.

Suddenly, Ellie, standing slightly to the side, let out a surprised gasp.

"Aunt So-Yeon! I heard something in the bushes! Maybe it's a rabbit? Or… a wolf?" Her eyes sparkled with a mix of fear and excitement.

"Probably a rabbit," So-Yeon replied reassuringly, though she cast a cautious glance in that direction. She tried to remain calm, but her fingers tightened slightly around the knife she was using to cut the plants. "Stay close to me, just in case."

Ellie laughed, imagining her aunt trying to haggle at the market with this flower.

"But, Auntie," she tugged at So-Yeon's sleeve, her voice turning thoughtful, "if it's so good, why hasn't anyone made medicine from it yet? Maybe people just don't know how valuable it is? Or… what if it's useless?" Ellie looked puzzled, but there was a spark of curiosity in her eyes.

So-Yeon froze for a moment, her mouth slightly open. Her mind began to race: "What if Leonuria is considered a useless weed in this world? Maybe it's even used as an example of a plant that's nothing but trouble? How can we prove its usefulness? And what if no one believes in its value?" These thoughts both thrilled and worried her, but the excitement of discovery outweighed her fear.

"There's a chance people in this world don't know about it. Or worse, they see it as a problematic plant. If I can prove its effectiveness, it won't be easy. But if we succeed, its value will increase… and so will the risk that someone might try to steal it."

Ellie snorted but quickly grew serious, her expression thoughtful. Her voice softened, filled with hope.

"Do you think you could make medicine from it, like you did with goldenshade? Maybe we could try to create something new. What if we make some kind of super syrup? Imagine, we'll call it 'Ellie's Elixir!'"

"Of course," So-Yeon nodded, trying not to seem too excited. "But first, we'll need to run some tests and carefully experiment."

She was already envisioning their return home, drying the flowers, and brewing decoctions. Her mind filled with images: patients recovering thanks to her tinctures, and recognition of her craft. But darker thoughts crept in too. "If this plant is seen as a weed, proving its value will take a long time. And if I succeed? Then there will be those who want to take it by force. Can I protect myself and Ellie?" she wondered, feeling a mix of exhilaration and anxiety battling within her like opposing currents.

For now, she decided not to dwell on the problems. As they moved to the next bush, a small fox darted out of the underbrush. Ellie gasped, but the fox only paused for a moment, watching them with its bright eyes before disappearing into the grass.

"So that's our mysterious guest," So-Yeon said with a relieved smile. "A little thief, probably out for berries."

"A fox! It was so beautiful!" Ellie said, jumping with excitement. "Maybe it loves flowers too?"

"I think we'll have many reasons to thank this forest for its gifts," So-Yeon said, standing up. "Maybe we should call this place 'Ellie's Secret Garden.'"

"Can I cut some too?" Ellie asked, already reaching for another bush.

"Of course, just be careful," So-Yeon said with a smile.

Laughing, they continued gathering the "precious weed," unaware that in the future, this plant would become the source of not only great discoveries but also dangerous trials that would test their courage, knowledge, and ability to keep secrets.