Volume 4, Chapter 22 – Past Events and Future Plans

“Let’s eat first. It won’t be good if it gets cold.”

Even though they were just eating, Fia felt that Yulisha’s movements with her knife and fork were somewhat clumsy and stiff, as if she wasn’t used to the act of eating. She couldn’t help but ponder the reason for this.

It was probably because Mother Yulisha hadn’t eaten with the Eldest Princess in a very long time. That, combined with the princess’s cold personality, must have made her uncomfortable, which was why she seemed so out of sorts sitting with her now.

I should spend more time with Mother Yulisha while I’m in the palace.

With this thought, Fia’s gaze fell on Milu, who was beside her, and then on Anastasia, who was standing behind Yulisha with her head bowed in guilt.

“Anastasia and Milu haven’t eaten yet, have they?”

“Mhm,” answered Milu, who was lying with her upper body on Fia’s lap. She lifted her head and pointed to her open mouth. “Ah~”

She wanted to be fed. Fia sighed helplessly, then used a spoon to scoop up some of the custard-like food and brought it to Milu’s mouth. Milu ate it in one bite, then squinted her eyes comfortably like a kitten, the wings on the sides of her head flapping cheerfully.

She was so easy to read.

That being said, she couldn’t just keep feeding Milu in front of everyone. Mother Yulisha was still here. In the end, Fia had Milu sit in the seat next to her.

As for Anastasia, although she was initially worried that Yulisha would reprimand her for sitting at the table, Yulisha only raised an eyebrow and didn’t say she wasn’t allowed. So, Anastasia timidly sat down beside her. However, it was clear that she was very conscious of Yulisha’s presence. Her movements were careful and cautious. She would never reach for a dish while Yulisha was choosing, for fear of angering her, reminding Fia of a timid slave.

She didn’t know if Mother Yulisha disliked Anastasia because of the Sinner’s Mark, or if she was treating her poorly because she was angry about her failure as a guard—or perhaps it was jealousy of the favored Veronica, and because Anastasia was Veronica’s daughter, her anger was being transferred.

Regardless of the reason, she had to find a way to make Mother Yulisha accept Anastasia. This strange atmosphere, like a new wife fearing her evil mother-in-law, was very odd—this was just an analogy, of course. It was definitely not to say that Anastasia was her… her girlfriend. Yes, Anastasia was like an older sister.

Noticing the quiet and strange atmosphere at the table, where the only sounds were the clinking of cutlery, Yulisha swallowed her food and took the initiative to ease the tension. Her gaze fell on Milu, who was contentedly eating a meat dish beside Fia, her eyes like those looking at a cute little pet.

“Is this a Stellacryst Beast? Calling Dofi ‘Master’… did you pick her up on the way? Dofi, even though you’ve lost your memory, your habit of picking up stray little animals hasn’t changed. Anastasia, Erin Slate… back then, everyone was against you, but it turns out your choices were absolutely right. Especially Erin Slate; she already has the title of Sword Saint now.”

“Eh.”

She had never heard that Erin Slate had the title of Sword Saint. But surprise was surprise. Erin’s close private relationship with the princess was a secret; she couldn’t let it show on her face. She hadn’t even seen Erin Slate yet today.

Fia changed the subject and introduced Milu.

“Her name is Euphimilu. Due to some circumstances, she is now with me. I treat her like family.”

“I knew it,” Yulisha said, fiddling with the handle of her spoon and revealing a playful smile. “When you were feeding her just now, Dofi, you had the exact expression of a mother. If you hadn’t only been away from the elf lands for two months, I would have thought this was your daughter from the outside.”

Reaⅾ оո ΚatReαԁіոgСαfe

“I haven’t reached the age to be a mother yet…” Fia couldn’t help but smile wryly.

An elf was only considered an adult at one hundred years old, and she hadn’t reached that age yet.

“Then do you plan to have Euphimilu stay in the palace as a maid? All servants in the palace must be elves; that’s a strict rule. Although I think it would be most appropriate for Euphimilu to become your adopted daughter, Dofi, you aren’t married yet. Having an adopted daughter would bring a lot of gossip. I think the best solution would be for her to become my adopted daughter. Although the child’s eyes are a bit scary, it’s not a major flaw.”

“Is that alright?”

Fia’s eyes widened slightly. Yulisha had no biological children of her own. To adopt a Stellacryst Beast child without the Elf King’s consent, it was hard to say if she wouldn’t be criticized in the future.

—Having been mentioned, Milu, who had been devouring her food, stopped and stared at Yulisha nervously, the wings where her ears should be pressed tightly against her head in fear.

Yulisha smiled, her soft face, which looked to be only in its thirties, showing a hint of bitterness and helplessness.

“Of course, it’s no problem. Ever since you grew up and got your own palace, Dofi, Yelido has never sought me out again. All of us consorts can see clearly what’s on his mind. I’m afraid that even if we were to have an affair with a lover, as long as we didn’t make it public knowledge and bring shame to the royal family, he would just turn a blind eye.”

“Yelido was never interested in us from the beginning, or rather, he never cared about us. Since he never considered us his property, why would he care what we do? It’s just an adopted daughter, and one that you brought back, Dofi. Even if people gossip, it won’t affect me in any substantial way.”

“That’s still not good…”

Fia pressed her lips together. Even if it didn’t substantially affect Mother Yulisha, she didn’t want to see her being criticized by others because of her. The best solution was for Milu to just stay by her side.

“Mhm. Stay with Master.” Milu, also unwilling to go with Yulisha, nodded her head emphatically.

Yulisha’s gaze lingered on Fia’s conflicted face for a moment. Fia’s hesitation had already told her that she didn’t want to cause her trouble. Yulisha gave a wry smile.

“I was just making a suggestion. What to do in the end is up to you, Dofi. The rules are not set in stone. Besides, you will surely inherit Yelido’s position in the future. Then you will be the one making the rules. That being said, since you’ve lost your memory, there are many past events in the palace that I need to tell you about again. Although Yelido dotes on you, he doesn’t let you have your way in everything. There are some things you must be extra careful about. This morning, you mentioned a child named Claire with great joy. That’s a girl, right?”

At the mention of Claire, Fia couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. She nodded timidly, her voice growing smaller, as if she were really introducing her lover to her mother.

“Yes…”

Yulisha’s expression didn’t change as she continued to ask.

“Is she human, or an elf?”

“Human… not exactly,” Fia’s speech slowed as she fell into thought. “Claire doesn’t know what race she is either. She’s a life form that wasn’t born naturally. She already had the body of a young woman when she gained consciousness, and she looks a little younger than Anastasia. She normally has a human appearance, but if she uses too much mana, she’ll reveal a demon-like tail and horns. Does Mother Yulisha have any clues?”

“No.” Yulisha’s focus was clearly not on why Claire could change her appearance. With a look of “I knew it,” she sighed in frustration. “Hah, I knew it would be a human. From the moment I heard you met in the Milcandis Holy Kingdom, I had a bad feeling.”

Rеaԁ οո ΚαtRеaⅾiոɡСаfе

“A bad feeling, you mean…”

“I mean that she is human, and a woman at that. Putting aside the fact that it would be difficult to get past Yelido, the others in the palace would surely object. Not just the military, but probably even the ministers on your side would try to dissuade you.”

Fia’s heart instantly tensed, and her brows furrowed.

“Why?”

Elves had the mana surge and the Holy Tree; even same-sex couples could procreate. Same-sex marriage was not uncommon among the elf race, and because of their long lifespans and slow aging, even intergenerational marriages were not strange. Fia couldn’t understand why her mother would say that.

Yulisha explained patiently.

“This has to do with the traditions of the upper nobility. Have you not noticed, Dofi, that all of Yelido’s consorts are women? Although we elves can have same-sex marriages, the upper nobility still maintains the old customs, believing that only a marriage between a man and a woman is a proper one. If a high noble marries someone of the same sex, it is seen as a lack of noble upbringing, improper, and they become a laughingstock.”

“If it were just that, we could turn a blind eye. After all, you are the crown princess. As long as that girl named Claire is beautiful and well-mannered and won’t bring shame to the royal family, it would be fine. But she just has to be human…”

At this, Yulisha’s eyebrows shot up, and her expression became exceptionally serious. She leaned forward slightly and said.

“Dofi, have Anastasia or Liti ever told you why Yelido forcibly took Veronica from Clark’s side, against her will?”

“…No.”

Fia’s answer made Yulisha squint and shoot a displeased glance at Anastasia before continuing to explain to Fia.

“Because Clark is human. Humans are a base and inferior species. Even among the common folk, no elf looks down on a human who lacks both magical talent and a strong physique, not to mention that humans are always arrogant and do not show reverence for powerful species. A powerless human who comes to Silvar either becomes a slave or can only do the dirtiest and most tiring work; otherwise, even surviving is difficult. If outsiders were to learn that an elf royal was with a base human, it would be a great humiliation to the royal family, a complete loss of face.”

“If Clark had been an elf, even a commoner, Yelido would never have done such a despicable thing. But Clark just had to be human. Humans are not the same species as us. They are natural-born slaves. For a royal to marry such a lowly creature is something no elf could tolerate. That is what gave Yelido the opportunity.”

“Although there were many other twists and turns, like Yelido’s father, the former king, flying into a rage and ordering him to bring Veronica back, and other nobles and ministers also supporting this course of action, in any case, the end result was that Yelido forcibly took Veronica, turning her into the person she is today.”

Simply put, from the elf perspective, humans were a lower species, without “elf rights,” and unworthy of standing with the noble elves. It was like how humans viewed goblins. If a human royal were to marry a goblin, the royal family would, without a doubt, either strip that royal of their status and exile them, or simply kill the goblin and bring the royal back to the palace. This was a common practice.

Thinking about it, Anastasia had indeed shown a contempt for humans on several occasions. If she hadn’t shown kindness to humans, Anastasia wouldn’t have bothered with those who were injured and needed help. This was an elf custom, and the contempt of the strong for the weak.

“Mmm…”

Fia was silent for a moment. She roughly understood her mother’s subtext.

Mother Yulisha was trying to say that Yelido had used the pretext of humans and elves being different to justifiably take Veronica from Clark. Now, for her, Yelido’s daughter, to be with a human was tantamount to slapping him in the face, a direct act of defiance.

Rеαⅾ oո ΚatRеаdіոɡСαfе

Yulisha’s worries were not without reason. In fact, after her explanation, Fia did feel that the matter had become somewhat troublesome.

If she weren’t Yelido’s daughter, she certainly wouldn’t care what her Father thought. After all, even if he was the Elf King, he had no right to interfere in her marriage. However, he just had to be her Father, and a very doting one at that. If she insisted on being with Claire, there would inevitably be an unavoidable conflict with him in the future.

Teach him a lesson with her fists? She could do that, but the price would likely be the complete breakdown of their father-daughter relationship. Although her Father was a scumbag, even the former princess had not said anything. As her successor, should she really make a clean break? Did she even have the right to?

This question was hard for Fia to let go of. The very reason she had taken a detour was to do better than the princess, to learn magic properly before coming to the capital. Otherwise, she could have just taken a boat back from the beginning. If anyone gave her trouble, she could have just taken Anastasia and left the Elf Kingdom, never to return, cutting ties completely.

But that was not the path she had chosen. She had chosen to become the Eldest Princess, to accept everything that came with it. This included accepting the love of Anastasia and her mothers like Yulisha, but also the father-daughter relationship that had to be handled properly. The two were inextricably linked.

The saying that there is a bad side to every good side probably referred to this kind of situation. Fia couldn’t help but sigh internally.

Of course, she would never give up Claire, no matter what. No matter what anyone said, she would walk this path with her. Even if a god were to intervene, they could not stop her.

As for what to do when the time came, she would start thinking of a solution now.

She would find a way to reconcile everything, even if this was a domain she had never touched, never experienced before. A path is always forged by walking it.

Seeing Fia lost in thought, the seriousness on Yulisha’s face gradually faded, replaced by a gentle, comforting smile.

“If Claire is a kind girl, even if she is human, I only hope that you can be happy together, and not end up like Veronica or me, an unfortunate woman. Humans have their flaws, but it’s better than a forced marriage. I despise Veronica, but sometimes I also feel pity for her. In this matter, there are no winners. All that is left for everyone is pain. Whether it’s Clark, Veronica, Yelido, or us consorts… and even you, Dofi.”

“And Anastasia,” Fia emphasized.

Yulisha couldn’t help but smile. She looked at Anastasia beside her with a blatant, appraising gaze, which made Anastasia shrink her shoulders and stiffen.

“You’re the same as always, thinking so highly of Anastasia. What’s so good about her, anyway? Her figure, her looks, or her personality?”

“All of them are wonderful. Anastasia is irreplaceable.”

“Oh my…”

“Your… Your Highness… this is too embarrassing…”

In contrast to Yulisha’s amused tone, the praised Anastasia’s cheeks were so red they looked as if they might drip water. Her hands were under the table, and she fidgeted, unable to sit still.

“Let’s leave this matter at that. I don’t want to delve into it. But Anastasia, I don’t want something like this to happen a second time. If Dofi comes back with injuries again, I expect to see your corpse.”

By the end, Yulisha’s tone was exceptionally sharp, as if it held a magic that could not be refused.

Rеаd oո KαtReаԁіnɡСafe

And Anastasia immediately shot up from her chair, her mature and resolute face becoming full of seriousness and determination.

“I swear on my life, I will never let it happen a second time! Unless someone steps over my dead body, no one will be able to harm Her Highness!”

As if savoring the determination in Anastasia’s azure eyes, Yulisha stared at her for a good while before looking away. She said calmly, “I hope so. Sit down.” Then, she smiled and turned the topic back to Fia. “I didn’t get to properly hear about that girl named Claire this morning. Can you finish the story, Dofi?”

“Uh…”

Being asked about her girlfriend by her mother made Fia a little embarrassed. To make matters worse, she and Claire had already had that level of interaction. Fia was really hesitant about whether to tell her—it was probably best to keep it a secret for now. What if Mother Yulisha asked at the dinner table, “who won in bed?” or said, “let me teach you a thing or two.” She would really have to bury her face in the table and never show it again.

After all, not only were Anastasia and Milu here, but there were also five or six maids.

As if sensing Fia’s stiff movements and expression, Yulisha’s lips curled into a mischievous, teasing smile.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it. But you’ll have to grant me another wish, Dofi.”

“Wh-what is it?”

Without answering Fia with words, Yulisha picked up her plate, walked around the table, and sat down beside her. Then she scooted her chair even closer, until their bodies were pressed together. Fia could even feel the warmth from Yulisha’s shoulder and the soft touch unique to a mature woman.

Yulisha speared a piece of steak, cut to just the right size for a single bite, with her fork, then brought it to Fia’s lips with a radiant smile.

“This, of course.”

It was obvious what she wanted to do.

Just as Fia had predicted, if she invited her mothers over, this was how it would end—being fed like a child in front of the maids, Anastasia, and Milu.

“Ever since you were an infant, you were always unwilling to let me feed you, Dofi. Now that we have the chance, won’t you make up for your mother’s regret? To be gently fed by me, the one known as the Iron-Blooded Consort, is a treatment even Yelido has never enjoyed. You have to eat it all. Now, hurry up and choose. Either tell me about that girl Claire, or obediently let me feed you.”

Although her voice was smiling, Fia could feel a strong sense of command in Yulisha’s tone, making it impossible to say no.

Gazing at the steak held to her lips and her mother’s mature face so close to hers, Fia’s cheeks quickly flushed crimson. She swallowed hard.

“I…”

—In the end, under Yulisha’s powerful motherly authority, Fia not only confessed everything about Claire but was also fed to Yulisha’s heart’s content.