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The woman before me seemed vaguely familiar. However, just because I had a flimsy acquaintance with her didn’t mean I felt any warmth towards her.

I slowly took in her figure.

She was an impressive woman with teal eyes and golden hair. Her beauty possessed an elegance that transcended races.

And in fact, she openly displayed her long ears, unmistakably highlighting her difference from humans.

Friel Arielte.

She was none other than an elf from the Great Forest.

‘…Why is an elf even here?’

Elves in this world are a reclusive race.

They reside in the Great Forest, positioned between the kingdom and the empire, rarely showing their faces to human society. They only attend significant events, like the coronation of the kingdom’s first princess or the emperor of the empire. They live mostly at their own pace, unconcerned with the issues of short-lived races.

This principle also applied to Friel Arielte. After all, she was still just an elf…

What Friel wanted from me was a master-servant relationship.

Or more precisely, she wanted to treat me as an aesthetically pleasing object or a pet.

Even a greedy elf wouldn’t depart from the World Tree just to acquire a mere pet.

As my thoughts deepened, I simply bowed my head in response to her greeting and asked a question.

“…How did you find out about our identities?”

After seeing the plum blossoms, we had returned to the city, covering ourselves again with robes to conceal our identities.

It should be quite difficult to discover us without significant insight.

“Hmm.”

Indeed, Siabel’s curiosity seemed piqued by the subtle distance between Friel and me, as well as her perceptive nature.

Even aside from that, Siabel appeared to be gazing at her ears as if seeing an elf for the first time.

Friel briefly checked Siabel’s expression before answering.

“I’ve been observant since I was young… and well, Ray, the scent coming from you has become more potent.”

Friel’s fabricated smile grew even broader. Her profound interest radiated through her gaze towards me.

‘Tsk…’

It was a natural reaction.

Elves are a unique race capable of sensing the fragrance of spirits.

Given that my spirit’s energy had evolved more purely over time, the skills I could exhibit through it had increased too.

The energy of my spirit, tickling my nose amidst the gentle breeze.

The freshness of that wind mixed with the subtle scent of firewood burning.

It was no wonder an elf, picking up on that scent, found herself burning with curiosity about me.

Thus, her interest in me wasn’t surprising, but… this situation was rather unpleasant.

‘What a nuisance.’

Friel had previously told me boldly to stick close to her during a morning walk when no one was around.

Though she might be craving even more interest than then…

She wasn’t overtly revealing her greed in front of many people, but it was clear she was thrashing about in a thick miasma of desire.

If she wasn’t clinging to Shione’s side, she would undoubtedly come over and spout some nonsensical chatter again.

‘She should be rooted in the Great Forest. Why is she at the Count’s House?’

As I downplayed her burdensome interest, I noticed Shione’s reaction.

She flinched.

“…Scent?”

At Friel’s mention of the growing scent emanating from me, Shione’s body momentarily trembled.

The way Shione whispered that word was chilly.

It was only just spring; I thought winter had returned with Aria to the north. Yet the bone-chilling cold still lingered in Shione’s small voice.

If those pointed ears weren’t merely decoration, it was evident Friel would also have heard Shione’s cold whisper.

Without a care, she smiled, appearing friendly.

“There are many eyes here, so it’s hard to take off our hoods… Let’s step inside the church for a moment and chat, shall we?”

“Let’s… have a quick conversation then.”

Unlike the times spent chatting freely with Shione and Siabel, Siabel, with her emotions set aside and cold reason in control, accepted Friel’s proposal.

Siabel pushed back her hood and slowly entered the church, followed by me and Shione.

Even while this was happening, my mind raced to sort through this sudden situation.

Why was an elf here at all, especially the daughter of Arielte?

…It was certainly said that the Arielte family was one of the three families recognized by the High Elves—

They not only held the crucial responsibility of guarding and managing the World Tree, but they also had the right to share the spirits’ blessing alongside the High Elves.

‘…There must be some significant reason.’

The daughter of such a family had come all the way from the farthest eastern tip of the kingdom to the farthest west.

Those esteemed elves, who lived only where the roots of the World Tree extended.

And among them, this particularly esteemed elf had visited here…

Surely, it meant some important duty required her direct attention.

‘I don’t know what obligation she carries, but…’

I could tell it was anything but trivial.

Siabel and Friel, having entered the church first, began their conversation.

With introductions exchanged, they gauged each other’s general social standings and, once the conversation flowed suitably, Siabel’s expression, typically devoid of emotion, reflected surprise.

“The Count’s estate has not received any notice about an esteemed elf like you, Friel from the Great Forest, visiting our territory… Had there been a message, you would have received a warm welcome, but… if it’s not too presumptuous, could you share why you arrived without any prior notice?”

Friel was an unexpected guest.

Moreover, she was meeting someone here at the church without any prior connections.

“The reason for my unannounced visit… is quite significant, so I intend to discuss it in length with the head of the Shianella family later. Siabel Young Lady, would you be kind enough to accommodate?”

However, Friel avoided providing a direct answer, and Siabel quietly exchanged glances with her.

In Friel’s teal eyes reflected patterns of azure pupils. Conversely, in Siabel’s blue eyes were reflections of teal pupils.

For them, peering into each other’s depths was a quicker way to confirm matters than mere speech.

Thus, they exchanged glances while engaging in trivial or fairly formal discussions.

In the midst of that, Siabel glanced back at me and Shione before posing a question to Friel.

“I sense you seem to know my younger brother and Ray…”

To Siabel’s unexpectedly drawn-out question, Friel Arielte finally responded, as if the anticipated topic of conversation had finally come up.

“I certainly couldn’t be unaware. On the day of the princess’s coming-of-age ceremony, I witnessed Young Lady Shione with—”

Friel tilted her head slightly, gazing into Shione’s eyes.

In that fleeting moment of contact, Shione’s expression turned cold.

“I saw a brave knight daringly protect Princess Shione from the scoundrels attacking her, closer than anyone else.”

Friel stared at me while eyeing Shione intensely, her elegant gesture pushing her golden hair back.

“The loyalty I observed from both of you was so radiant that it captivated me momentarily, you know?”

Friel’s smile was directed at me.

“I heard news on my way here. They mentioned that Young Lady Shione has surpassed a wall as an archer… Congratulations.”

“…Thank you.”

Shione’s lips curled slightly at Friel’s words. Yet her eyes remained cold, focusing on Friel.

Shione, resembling a cute puppy, was acting more like a finicky cat, alert and uneasy.

A few head pats might soften her mood, but given the current atmosphere, I refrained from doing so.

I silently observed the adeptly handling of the situation by Friel and the subtle tension radiating from Shione.

Friel cheerfully smiled at Shione, nodding.

“Moreover—”

Those teal eyes began to roll towards me.

“I’ve heard many stories about you, Sir Knight…”

“…”

“A man capable of wielding magic… and you even took down a demon with a single arrow, didn’t you?”

Friel bestowed upon me a fresh smile, blooming like a sprouting bud, similar to the one she’d shown Shione.

“Well, I thought you seemed like a devoted knight. But upon reconsideration, perhaps ‘prince from a fairy tale’ suits you better. Truly wonderful.”

But I found her smile felt anything but genuine, yet even more contrived than anything else, not captivating my heart one bit. Instead, it only heightened my sense of discomfort.

And as those words trailed off, a priest approached us from inside the church.

A silver-haired man. Sion Shianella.

As he drew closer, Friel shrugged and continued.

“It would be great if I could converse with Young Lady and Ray separately. It feels like some time has passed… My colleagues who joined me to this Count’s estate must be waiting. I should be on my way.”

“When do you plan to visit the Count’s estate?”

“I plan to drop by by this evening, if that’s alright?”

“I’ll ensure to speak to my mother separately. The Count’s estate… will welcome the Arielte family.”

*

Once Sion joined us, Friel Arielte exited the church.

In the brief time we had spent together, Shione couldn’t help but feel a buildup of something pressing on her heart.

Frustration and a hint of unease.

Those trivial but negative thoughts stemmed entirely from the past autumn.

The moments she witnessed when Ray returned late from his meeting alone with the princess.

Ray, who had narrowed the distance with Friel Arielte more than necessary.

His cold, hardened expression and Friel Arielte’s eyes, stained with possessiveness.

That grotesquely deep desire didn’t suit the elf, known to be pure and flawless.

And that desire was fixated on none other than Ray.

—I’m sorry, but… I have no intention of becoming Friel’s.

That fact, in and of itself, displeased me.

The mere thought that someone might covet what I had rightfully obtained…

Thus, while Sion and Siabel exchanged greetings, I left the church under the pretense of getting some fresh air to bid Friel farewell.

I pulled my hood deep to cover my hair and approached Friel.

She seemed to expect this when she came face to face with me.

“Friel, I haven’t forgotten about the events of autumn.”

Friel tilted her head while stroking her chin.

“Events from autumn, you say?”

The elf was smiling.

“I noticed you were particularly fixated on Ray today. Hence, I thought I would offer a few words while seeing you off.”

“…”

“I would prefer if you no longer harbored desires for Ray. He is—”

My current attitude. My voice came out somewhat rude as I glared directly at her, but—

Friel had also been quite rude to me last autumn, hadn’t she?

Therefore, I continued without hesitation.

“My property. He belongs solely to me, a possession of mine.”

 

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