Volume 4, Chapter 43 – The Exquisite and Mature Maiden

Over the past two days, Fia had heard about Mizuki’s origins from Yulisha while they ate together.

Mizuki had originally lived in the vast forests in the northern part of the beast-kin’s Cold Moon Alliance, near Silvar. Having lived alone for too long and wanting to see the outside world, she had come to Silvar. As it turned out, people learned from her that even from as far away as the Cold Moon Alliance, she could still see the giant Holy Tree located in Blossom, and she even treated this as common knowledge. Thus, her extremely strong affinity with the Holy Tree became known.

After that, the news quickly spread to the Royal Castle, and Mizuki was summoned by King Yelido. After a series of resonance tests with the Holy Tree, Yelido confirmed that her compatibility with it was indeed stronger than that of the royal family. Only then did he decide to absorb her into the royal family. As for her own thoughts, no one had cared.

Generally speaking, no woman liked to be forced into a marriage, and Mizuki should be no exception. If she was unwilling to marry the Elf King, even if it meant confronting her Father, Fia was determined to help her leave this place.

After all, there was a right and wrong in all things. Even if Yelido was her Father, what was wrong was wrong. No amount of sophistry could change the facts.

Besides, Mizuki was a woman who looked to be about her own age. Come to think of it, for her own Father to marry someone about the same age as his daughter, did he not find it disgusting? Or rather, how did he have the face to even suggest it?

Even if it were for the supremacy of the royal family, to not allow a commoner with a greater affinity for the Holy Tree to exist, there were other options. For example, they could have created a title or official position specifically for her, or announced that she was a descendant of a lost branch of the royal family. Either method would have been much better than announcing her as his fiancée.

Fia’s suggestion made Mizuki freeze for a moment, and she blinked in confusion.

“Are you going to go against His Majesty, Fia? I think my current life is interesting enough. I was very anxious at the beginning, but later I found that His Majesty seems to have no interest in me at all. I think the so-called marriage is just a formality, the kind of thing where we have the name of husband and wife, but not the reality.”

“I also asked the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Royal Consorts. They both said that after they got married, His Majesty never touched them. In that case, I don’t have to worry. No, I should say I’m lucky, right? The royal family has everything. I don’t have to go into the forest to find food every day like when I lived there. I don’t have to worry about the roof being blown away when it’s windy and rainy. And I can do whatever I want, and no one criticizes me… Come to think of it, am I a little too comfortable? Even a great figure like the Prime Minister has a respectful expression when he sees me and calls me Lady Maiden. There must be countless people who would kill to live a life like mine.”

You’ve been mesmerized by the decadent pleasures of high society.

Fia couldn’t help but sigh internally. What Mizuki said was indeed reasonable. After all, everyone knew that her Father was only in love with her biological mother, Veronica, and placed almost no restrictions on the other consorts. Mother Yulisha had even said that as long as they weren’t too flagrant about it, he wouldn’t even ask if they took lovers.

To enjoy countless riches and have great freedom, with almost nothing to give in return, was indeed a very tempting condition. No, even if one had to give up something, there would surely be countless people flocking to it. It could definitely be called a life of pleasure.

That being said, Fia still frowned and asked.

“You’ve never had a lover or anything like that, have you, Mizuki?”

“No. After all, I’ve always lived alone.”

“Then don’t you think it’s a pity? If you become the Seventeenth Royal Consort, you will be lonely forever. You must have longed for a normal life of meeting someone, falling in love, and starting a family with them. Didn’t you just say that you’ve always wanted a well-behaved and obedient daughter?”

“Well…”

Being pressed to this extent by Fia, Mizuki finally showed a look of hesitation.

As expected, from any angle, she was a young woman about the same age as her. Seeing this expression, Fia couldn’t help but think.

“But it can’t be helped. We’ve already come this far.”

As if embarrassed, Mizuki’s hands rubbed against her thighs, a wry smile on her pretty face.

“Besides, I really like my current job. Every time I communicate with the Holy Tree, I feel an unprecedented sense of peace, as if I’ve become one with the whole world. If I can restore the Holy Tree Dance and re-establish contact with Lord Elf God, I’ll be happy to have done something useful.”

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“So, you like your current job, but if you could, you wouldn’t want to marry my Father. Is that right?”

“…Those are very disrespectful words, Fia. If anyone else in the palace heard them, it would surely cause a scandal.”

Mizuki lectured her like a mother, but Fia was unmoved.

“Hah, Yelido and I are bound to have a fight sooner or later. A little more or a little less won’t change the outcome. I will discuss it with my Father and have him take back his marriage to you. Instead, he can announce that you are the orphan of a long-lost member of the royal family. That should solve the problem.”

“But I’m not the orphan of a royal family member. Wouldn’t that be deceiving others? And which royal family member would I be the orphan of? I’d need a name. Where would we fabricate that?”

“We can just make one up. The person is dead; they’re not going to crawl out of their grave to refute us and say you’re not their descendant,” Fia said, waving her hands with her eyes closed, her tone light. “This way, you can continue to be the Holy Tree’s maiden and also find someone you like in the future. It’s the best of both worlds.”

“If you can do it, thank you, Fia. But if you can’t, don’t force it.”

Although it was a good thing, Mizuki’s expression was not that excited. On the contrary, she had a worried look on her face and sighed a long sigh.

“Anyway, it’s impossible for anyone to like an elf like me. For someone to be willing to marry me is Lord Elf God’s pity on me. I have no figure to speak of, and I’m a country bumpkin who doesn’t know noble etiquette. Everyone prefers women like Miss Erin Slate. It’s so nice, so mature and elegant, a completely ideal woman.”

So she was worried about her figure.

Fia couldn’t help but smile.

Indeed, most men were as Mizuki said, and preferred well-endowed elves. Not only that, but the figures of most female elves were generally in line with the aesthetics of normal men. Even if not all of them could have the impressive busts of Erin Slate or Anastasia, the average level was surely a C-cup on the World Tree Continent. Petite girls were not popular among the elf race. Just as Fia found King Yelido disgusting, if a man were to marry a woman like Mizuki who could be his daughter, it would be hard for him not to be looked at sideways by his neighbors.

Of course, although she thought this in her heart, she still tried to console Mizuki.

“There are hundreds of millions of people in Silvar. There will always be someone who likes a petite type like you.”

“You don’t have to comfort me, Fia. I know my figure is pathetic. I’m not like you; I still have a chance to develop… I feel like I’ll never get married…”

If this were a manga, Fia felt that Mizuki would surely be drawn as a Q-version chibi, squatting in a corner and drawing circles gloomily—although a petite, blonde, twin-tailed girl was indeed very suitable for that kind of image.

“If you can’t get married, then marry me~” Fia really wanted to joke like this to liven up the atmosphere, but she was already a taken woman. So she held the words in her heart and instead tried another way of comforting her.

“As long as you work hard to improve your own charm, even if you’re a little petite, someone will like you. It’s not too late to start learning how to charm men or women now. You can learn from Mother Yulisha.”

“That won’t work. The reason Consort Yulisha was popular when she was young was because she was beautiful to begin with. Instead of learning from her, I’d rather learn from you, Fia. You’re petite like me, but you’re liked by so many people… Maybe I should start by learning how to get along with a lover? No, I should start by mustering the courage to confess to the person I like?”

At this, the atmosphere around Mizuki changed. She placed her hands on the grass and leaned towards Fia, her eyes lowered, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“P-Princess Dofilia… actually… I’ve liked you for a long time. Will you accept my feelings?”

At the end, Mizuki even looked up, her ice-blue eyes wavering slightly, clearly reflecting Fia’s image. Her expression was like that of a fifteen  or sixteen year old girl in the throes of first love, confessing to her crush in a quiet corner.

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This shy and awkward appearance was indeed very attractive. If it had been Claire or Anastasia, her adrenaline would surely have been pumping, her heart pounding, and her brain might have even shut down from the heat.

However, since the object was Mizuki, she only felt like laughing. Putting aside the fact that she was a three hundred year old elf, this little girl-like confession was full of a sense of dissonance. First of all, the atmosphere she had chosen was too poor. If she had found her in the middle of the night and called her to the garden to say the same thing, she would surely have been flustered and at a loss.

“Pfft.”

Fia couldn’t hold it in and turned her head to the side.

“Hey! You don’t find me charming at all, do you!”

Her carefully crafted performance being laughed at, Mizuki became angry with embarrassment. She reached out and pinched Fia’s cheek, but this still did not stop her laughter.

“Hahaha, the atmosphere you chose was too poor, Mizuki. The expression just now was spot on, but the atmosphere was terrible. I already know that was your acting. To think that a three hundred year old elf would act like an elf my age, it’s too strange.”

“Then what do you think I should do? I can’t flirt with people like a mature woman. It’s obvious that with this appearance of mine, it wouldn’t be effective.”

Mizuki pouted like she was sulking, her expression full of anger, her cheeks flushed with shyness.

“Uh…” Fia said hesitantly, rubbing the cheek that had been pinched. “Well… I don’t know either. The expression just now was actually spot on. What you’re lacking isn’t acting skills, but knowledge.”

Realizing this, Fia, holding her cheek, said with emotion.

“Actually, I think you’re worrying too much, Mizuki. The person who is liked by you would surely be very happy. You have both an innocent and cute side, and a mature and reliable side. This is a unique advantage that others can’t learn even if they wanted to. As long as you are willing to interact with more people in the future, you will surely find someone you like. There is no doubt about that.”

“You don’t seem to be lying, Fia. That is to say, even in your well-traveled eyes, I am a charming woman?”

Because Mizuki had leaned her face in, with an expression like a child waiting for praise, Fia couldn’t help but glance at her clear, ice-blue eyes, then quickly looked away and answered in a low voice.

“Putting aside ‘well-traveled,’ I do indeed think you are very charming, Mizuki.”

“Then let’s give it a try?!” Mizuki shouted excitedly, without any warning.

“Huh?”

Fia didn’t react for a moment. She turned to look at Mizuki’s eager and pretty face.

“Try what?”

“Being lovers, of course,” she answered without hesitation, even placing a hand on her chest with an expression that said “this is how it should be.” “You think I’m very charming, Fia, and I think you’re both cute and reliable. Can’t we try to get along? Lovers can try to be together as long as they like each other, right? Of course, if I do something later that makes you unhappy, or if I don’t satisfy you enough, you can kick me to the curb at any time. I won’t have any complaints.”

“No, no, kicking you to the curb is too much. I won’t agree to it. Give it up.”

Fia quickly scooted her body back, putting some distance between them, her hands not forgetting to cross over her chest in a defensive posture.

However, Mizuki crawled one step closer with the same speed to catch up. The sight of her on all fours was comical from the side, but for Fia, the feeling of her expectant and serious face gradually getting closer was only oppressive. And the sight of her collarbones, peeking out from behind her white neck and swaying golden hair, made it difficult to look directly at her.

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“Do you mean you won’t kick me to the curb? You don’t have to worry about my feelings. It’s just a trial, anyway. Mmm… to be precise, it’s training. As long as I can learn from it and gain experience, it’s fine. I don’t really think someone like me can be with you, Fia.”

Mizuki probably meant that this was just a lovers’ game, not real love. But even so, it was impossible for her to agree. She already had Claire, her real lover. Putting herself in the other’s shoes, if Claire were to play a lovers’ game with Mizuki, she would surely be screaming “dammit” in her heart, biting her bedsheets, and being sullen all day.

At this thought, Fia’s heart hardened. She simply closed her eyes and raised her chin, not looking at Mizuki’s expression.

“No, absolutely not. I already have someone I like. I can’t play a lovers’ game with you.”

“Why can’t you if you already have someone you like?”

To actually ask her why, wasn’t the reason obvious?

Feeling the warm breath mixed with the sweet scent of milk on her face, Fia couldn’t help but lift her eyelids to look at the on-all-fours Mizuki. She was still staring at her from an extremely close distance, her ice-blue eyes filled with confusion.

Hey, hey, she doesn’t actually not understand, does she?

Stunned for a moment, Fia suddenly reacted.

She had forgotten that polygamy was the norm on the World Tree Continent. In the past, Claire had joked that she was the first consort, and Anastasia and Liti were the second and third. For Mizuki, she was the strange one here.

Fia’s head suddenly ached. She thought for a moment. As Mizuki’s face was too close, making her feel embarrassed, she first put a hand between their faces and then answered.

“No means no. Didn’t you just say that no daughter in the world would be ambiguous with her mother? My Father isn’t back yet. We can’t let people misunderstand. And even if he were back, there would be problems in every aspect. If Claire suddenly said she was playing a lovers’ game with another woman, for whatever reason, I would be unhappy. So, putting myself in her shoes, I won’t do anything that would make her unhappy either. You should go find Anastasia or Erin Slate. They should be willing to help you.”

“But I only feel that you are reliable, Fia. You are different from the others. Besides, you are only putting yourself in her shoes. It doesn’t mean that that human girl named Claire will really be unhappy. Mmm… but I probably understand what you’re thinking. This kind of thing can’t be forced.”

At this, Mizuki pulled back her upper body, resumed her sitting posture, and said with a smile.

“When I meet that child named Claire, I’ll ask for her consent first, and then come and ask you, Fia.”

“Please, do not do that,” Fia refused at once.

If Claire were to think that she had asked Mizuki to ask her, things would surely become very bad—not “feel like,” but “would.”

Sensing the seriousness in her tone, Mizuki’s expression became troubled.

“Even with her consent, it’s not okay? It’s so complicated. Oh well, I’ll think of another way.”

“Mmm… you don’t have to be so dejected. Although I can’t satisfy your wish in a lover’s way, I will act as your advisor and help you become more charming, and I’ll help you find a partner along the way. If the other person is an unreliable fellow, I’ll kick him/her away for you!”

“Hah, there’s still a long time. We’ll talk about it in the future,” Mizuki sighed a long sigh, as if she were exhausted. “In the end, it’s a question of whether I can even get past His Majesty. There’s no taking back spilled water. I was just getting ahead of myself. Little Fia, do you want something to eat?”

With that, Mizuki took out a slice of cream cake from the bamboo basket beside her.

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“Thank you, but no. I had breakfast before I came,” Fia said with a wry smile, waving her hand.

“Then I’ll eat it myself.”

Suddenly, just as she was about to scoop up the cake with her fork, a look of remembrance appeared on her face. She looked up at Fia.

“Then what did you come here for, Fia? I thought you had suddenly come to find me under the Holy Tree because you wanted to feel a mother’s warmth.”

Just a moment ago she was talking about being a lover, and now she’s putting on the airs of a mother again.

Complaining in her heart, Fia answered in exasperation.

“I just had a strange dream before I woke up, and then I saw the Holy Tree and thought it looked a lot like what I saw in my dream, so I came to have a look. This is the first time I’ve seen it up close since I lost my memory. Oh, and one more thing. I want to go to the forbidden library, and also to see what your Holy Tree Dance is like.”

“So I was just an afterthought. And since you’ve already refused my request, shouldn’t you call me Mother Mizuki? To keep calling me Mizuki, Mizuki, you have no self-awareness as a daughter. Hurry up, let me hear you say ‘Mother’.”

With that, Mizuki put her hands on her hips and closed her eyes with a smug look, as if she were all ears.

“Is it because I didn’t agree to your request, so you’re sulking with me?” Fia couldn’t help but say, half-amused, half-exasperated.

Perhaps because Mizuki was not good at noble etiquette, she had used honorifics when she had first spoken to her, but now she was communicating with her on an equal footing. Of course, Fia didn’t think there was anything wrong with this. In fact, she felt it was more relaxed, since she wasn’t good at noble etiquette either.

Without paying any attention to her retort, Mizuki just opened one eye to glance at her, then closed it again and emphasized.

“Alright, hurry up. Otherwise, I won’t tell you how to get in.”

She had no motherly authority at all, but was more like a peer joking with another.

Since it was just a joke, she might as well grant her wish. Fia sighed helplessly.

“Alright, alright, Mother Mizuki. Please tell me how to enter the forbidden library.”

“Hmph, hmph, as expected of my good daughter.”

Her words clearly pleased Mizuki, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up. She opened her eyes, but she didn’t directly tell Fia the answer. Instead, she pointed to her own pretty face and turned her cheek towards her.

“You have to kiss me again before I can tell you.”

You bastard, don’t push your luck!

Although she thought this in her heart, Fia began to consider whether to kiss her or not. After all, she was her mother now, so it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong with it. And having refused her several times just now, she couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. Her gaze subconsciously fell on Mizuki’s seemingly flawless, smooth face, and she hesitated.

However, before Fia could react, Mizuki turned her face back, giggled, and said playfully, pulling down one eyelid.

“Bleh, just kidding.”