Eight children of various ages were running around where it was supposed to be the garden. The smallest seemed to be a little pink-haired girl around three, and the oldest was also a girl, this time with green hair, who also seemed to be around the same age as Lucas.
However, they weren't just running around normally! Those children were floating around without even having wings...
"Holly shit!" Lucas said with round eyes.
I agreed.
"Yeah... Holly shit!"
Mr. Jerald glared at us.
" How dare you talk like that in front of an elder? Why aren't you getting off?"
I looked at Mr. Jerald. Why did he stop here? I am getting ominous feelings about this.
"Is this Grandfather's tree garden?" I asked, empathizing with the word tree, since there is everything but trees.
A beautiful villa which is on a hill next to a lake. Just a few meters away from Grandfather's villa with the same structure and style as that building, just not surrounded by any pillars.
"Correct! This is it. You are to entertain them and feed them three meals a day!" He said in a disgusted tone. It did not like he was fooling around.
Then he frowned and looked into my eyes before continuing.
"I have only one, and that bastard is already a pain in the butt, I don't know how your grandfather managed them but as someone who took care of them for a few days, I feel like I should warn you not to get deceived by those innocent faces. Your senile grandfather has spoiled them to the roots! I honestly find you pitiful!"
Not understanding a word he said, I interrupted him.
"No! I did not mean it like that! What I meant was that you seem to have brought me to the wrong place... I am supposed to take care of a tree garden, not those children that I don't even know what they are... THOSE!" I said, pouring all my confusion into my voice.
"Did that crazy bastard tell you it is a tree garden? Such an irresponsible act. Who did he learn from to do such an irresponsible act?..."
He paused with widened eyes, as if he was having a realization.
"I mean, I dumped a few spirits I accidentally got on my grandchildren saying they were swords but even I didn't dump a dozen on a single one... Anyway, I guess you could say it is a tree garden, too. A tree garden, which also has other types of sprits other than tree sprits in it!" He nonchalantly said that as he got out of the car.
A dozen? Damn you, grandfather!
"No way! Were all the stories he said about forging legendary swords with sprites true?" Lucas said in awe, still looking at the children with an open mouth. It wasn't only him looking at them, but also them looking at us.
All of them had stopped what they were doing and stared at the car. Some with curious eyes, some with hostility, and some with indifference.
Hesitantly opening the door, I took a deep breath before jumping out of the car under the pressure of the stares. Lucas jumped down, right after, following me closely, gripping the back of my hoodie.
Hastening my path, I ran in Mr. Jerald's direction, who was passing through the crowd. As we passed by the children, Lucas's grip tightened. The worst guardian would suit me well since there hasn't been a day under my care that he hasn't gotten scared...
I started asking questions as soon as I was close enough to Mr. Jerald, who didn't seem as good as a person anymore. He tormented his grandchildren the same way grandfather did!
"Are you sure there aren't other tree gardens? I mean, there are a lot of trees on his lands!!" I tested my chance.
His words crashed my hopes.
"Nope, pretty sure this is the one! Unless he wants you to water the forest that no one has ever taken care of for decades and it is impossible to take care of since it's so huge!"
I felt frustrated, lost and full of questions. Does it mean I have to take care of this many children? How am I supposed to do that? Where are their parents? Didn't that damned fairy say fairies are very protective of their children? Why can't they do it? I expressed my thoughts.
"But why can't their parents take care of them? Do fairies leave their children to other people?" I asked with little thoughts and in a frustrated tone.
The whispers and giggles of the children suddenly stopped, so did Mr. Jerald. One of the small children who was floating around also fell to the ground with a boom and started crying. Some of the other small children joined him. Crying loudly from the bottom of their throats.
Mr. Jerald cast me side eyes as he went to the crying children, trying to soothe them. When he saw he couldn't do anything, he angrily stood up and came in my direction.
His furious figure got very close..
I took a step back, colliding with Lucas.
He started talking in a low, hoarse voice.
"I can't believe Samuel entrusted his spirits to someone like you! They are not fairies, you dumbass, and they don't have parents. However, they are just like you living beings, and they need physical and emotional care. Unlike you, they were born of nature and your irresponsible grandfathers' spiritual energy and childish competition with our air headed village head, not of people. Are you happy now that you made them cry? Like Grandmother like Granddaughter! "
He was panting from anger. Then, he bursted again.
"I can't take this anymore! From now on, you, whinny little girl, are on your own! Everyone has a first time taking care of spirits! This is yours!" He added angrily and, before I could show any reactions, left in a blink.
With the absence of the old man, the looks on the children's faces changed immediately. The green-haired girl who was sitting on a bench reading a book stood up and walked on air and slowly came towards me. An uninviting and unfriendly look on her face.
"I am hungry!" said the plump little boy, probably around seven years old, who fell on his buttocks. Wiping his teary turquoise coloured eyes that matched his turquoise coloured curly hair.
She glanced at him before getting into my one step range. It felt so uncomfortable. I hate being close to new people.
"Make the dinner and get lost." She said in a freezing tone and with a hatred on her face.
The heck did she just do? I am not a cook and I most definitely am not her maid!
"Excuse me? I didn't get it! What did you just say?"
She floated above and looked down at me with an insulting behavior.
"I told you to cook and scram! Oh, before that play that thing even though I am sure you can't even play. Let alone playing well enough as the youngest here."
I looked into her eyes. That look on her face disgusted me. It reminded me of the look in all of my siblings' eyes whenever they looked at me. The look of superiority. Nothing irritated me more than people looking down on me. I wasn't here to take more of that kind of behaviour.
"Oh, is that so? Cause I think my non of you will do better than my son!" I said, feeling Lucas's unbelieving eyes on me.
"What are-" Lucas tried to get out of it, but I interrupted him.
"If anyone of you can beat him at his game, I am gonna make one of your wishes com true!" I said, anger blinding my eyes. How dare she talk to me like that? I am no one's boxing punch and I am not gonna get anymore shit coming from grandfather's direction since unlike what everyone might think, I never got free help from him. Which is why I don't see in myself taking on anyone's responsibilities.
Then I turned to the angry Lucas, who was literally choking me by dragging the hoodie from behind.
"I will grant you a wish if you win! Even if you want to leave this place, we will." I promised him with an earnest voice.
The promise didn't loosen his grip on my poor hoodie, but it his facial expression got better.
I felt a dragging on the front side of my hoodie. The pink haired little girl was dragging it, looking up at me with her crimson red sparkly eyes.
"I want to leave this place with you too!" she said with determination in her eyes.
"What?" I said with surprise and flustered by the sudden approach. Frozen in place and unable to move. When I say I am allergic to small things, I mean it. She might break if I try to free myself from her. Looking at the green-haired girl to separate her, narrowing her eyes, she turned her back on me and went back to her bench. Opening her book without a care.
Mr. Jerald's voice came from behind my back. Lucas had a slight jump, surprised by his sudden presence.
"Are you taking them with you to the castle? Great choice. This way, you don't have to come all the way here to feed them!" said Mr. Jerald, I thought had left.
"No, I am not! I don't even have the permission to move them anywhere. Besides, I didn't agree to take care of them at all!"
"I could let you use my landline to ask Samuel... You can't take it back. You said you will grant any wishes!" The old man said, completely ignoring the second part of what I said.
Looking at him dumbfounded, I circled my arm around Lucas, bringing him to the front. Like a human shield...
"If she plays the violin better than him!" I said in the same claiming voice he used.