Volume 4, Chapter 85 – The King and Queen

Yelido Alexia Florenst was walking through the Royal Castle.

Although the entire castle was the home of the royal family, and as the head of the Alexia family, he should have been able to go wherever he wanted, for his own reasons, there were still many places here that he could not freely enter.

One was his eldest daughter Dofilia’s bedroom and library. If he were to step inside without permission, it would provoke her strong dislike. The bedroom was understandable, but for the library to also be off-limits was something he found strange. However, everyone had their own private space. Just as he disliked anyone appearing in the courtyard that he and Veronica had frequented as children, perhaps in his daughter’s eyes, the library was also a part of her private space. Thus, he understood and respected it.

As for the other place he could not freely set foot in, it was Queen Veronica’s palace.

Unlike his attitude towards his eldest daughter, it was not because it would provoke Veronica’s strong dislike that he did not go, but because he himself was unwilling to. Just like her attitude towards the princess, Veronica also never said a single word to him. No matter how sincere an attitude he took, she would not even glance at him. He knew that his younger sister was still thinking of Clark. Every time this happened, he would be filled with melancholy and anger—melancholy that she still had Clark in her heart, and anger at Clark’s despicable actions.

In the past, he had thought that after she gave birth to Fia, her attitude would improve somewhat. However, that was not the case. This situation had persisted for a hundred years. Over time, he had stopped going to her palace as often. The feeling was like a child with a failing report card going home. The journey home would be suffocating, not knowing how to face what was to come.

However, today, as Yelido walked in Veronica’s palace, his mood was very different from before. He felt a long-lost surprise, astonishment, and apprehension. It was true that he was following his usual custom of visiting her after a long trip, but before this, it had been her servant who had first notified him that she wanted to see him.

This was something that had never happened in a hundred years.

Even if elves had long lives, they couldn’t live for many centuries. Sometimes, he would even think that he might never hear her voice again in this lifetime. And today, she had suddenly notified him to see her. He couldn’t help but feel that she had finally had a change of heart, that she had realized that man Clark was not worthy of her, that she had just been deceived.

The last time he had felt a similar surprise was the night Dofi had called him “Father.” And before that, it had not happened in a hundred years. In addition, with the recovery of the Holy Tree, could it be that the Elf God was truly favoring him, sending all the surprises to his door at once?

Yelido’s hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly. If not for his upbringing as a monarch controlling him, he would have already let his joy show on his face, rubbing his hands together like a fly. In the past, he had never believed in such mysterious things as a turn of fortune, but today, for the first time, he felt that the favor of the god of fate was real.

In his eagerness, the golden-haired Yelido quickly arrived at the side of the birdcage-like garden courtyard. Through the gaps in the glass and green leaves, he could clearly see her figure sitting in the white stone pavilion. Her skin was as pale as ever, to the point of being sickly, as if she had just recovered from a serious illness.

In the past, she had been incomparably healthy, and more lively.

“Your Majesty.”

Seeing his arrival, a maid on guard outside the birdcage immediately came up to him.

He was forced to put away the look of joy on his face. He frowned and asked.

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“Did Veronica really ask me to come in?”

“Yes. The Queen said she has something to tell you.”

“I see. You are dismissed,” he said, waving his hand to signal the maid to retreat. However, as if he had remembered something, he turned his head and added, “Go and inform the back kitchen to prepare something the Queen likes to eat.”

“Yes.”

It wasn’t until all the maids had retreated that Yelido put away his seriousness. He stood still in front of the birdcage door, tidying his appearance in the reflection of the glass for a long time. Only after confirming that he was presentable in every aspect did he finally step into the birdcage.

Unlike the dry, cold air outside, upon entering, what greeted him was only the fragrance of green grass and a gentle warmth. The only sound was the crisp tinkling of water falling into a pond. These sensory experiences would normally feel wonderful, but now they made his heart race. He became incredibly nervous, his movements stiff as he walked towards the white stone pavilion.

Until he was standing behind Veronica, who had her back to him, her golden hair loose.

“Veronica…” a tremor had entered his usually steady voice. He thought of how she had asked him to see her, and then added with apprehension, “I heard from your servant that you wanted to see me. Have you run into some trouble?”

“Sit down first.”

A cold and clear voice.

If she had been gentle with Fia before, then she was now indifferent. Yet even so, his hands still trembled. He had not heard her voice in a hundred years. This was the first time since Fia’s birth that he had heard her speak. Therefore, even though her voice was clearly cold, he couldn’t help but be moved.

Yelido swallowed and walked to the seat opposite her. He quietly observed her appearance. She was still the same as before, her lips and face lacking color, her skin so fair that one could faintly see the blue veins underneath. Only those magnificent, ruby-like eyes, a symbol of the royal family, were still full of spirit.

To just sit there was not an option. Yelido began to pour water for both of them, and she took this opportunity to say, as if casually.

“I want to go out.”

“Out?” His hand paused. He asked without a trace of expression, “Where to? As long as it’s not too far, I will have… I will have the Imperial Guard protect your safety.”

He had originally wanted to say Erin Slate, but she was now protecting Fia’s safety, so he had changed his words. Veronica was important, but Fia was just as important. As for letting her go out, Yelido was not that opposed. Although there had been an incident in the past where she had colluded with a servant and run away, a servant was a servant, different from the Imperial Guard. The Guard would not let her escape. Besides, she was finally willing to talk to him. The joy this brought was enough to wash away much of his vigilance.

Veronica fell silent, which made him nervous. He knew he shouldn’t have put his younger sister under house arrest. If, because he had been too strict, she, who had already opened up, were to ignore him again, who knew how many centuries he would have to wait for her to speak again?

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To ease the atmosphere, he began to think about how he should change his words, but she abruptly changed the subject.

“It’s been one hundred and fifteen years since you took me from Clark’s side.”

What was the point of saying this?

At the mention of Clark, Yelido looked at Veronica opposite him, who was holding a cup of water with both hands, her expression indifferent, and subconsciously frowned.

“What’s wrong?”

“I want to know his whereabouts.”

“You still haven’t given up on him?”

Yelido clicked his tongue heavily. He hadn’t expected her to call him over to rekindle an old flame with Clark.

“He has nothing but sweet words, and didn’t even have the courage to accept my duel for his ‘lover.’ If he had won against me back then, even if my father had objected, I would have been willing to accept my loss and believe in your feelings. And even if he had lost to me, I would have admired his courage and not done anything to him. But he just had to avoid the fight. What right does such a man have to be by your side? Veronica, when will you wake up?”

In response to his scolding words, Veronica just lowered her head and looked at her cup, saying nothing.

And Yelido quickly calmed down. At the mention of Clark, he found it difficult to control his emotions, to the point where he had scolded her, who had finally been willing to talk to him. He snorted heavily and changed to a more earnest tone.

“Over a hundred years have passed. He is long dead. The lifespan of a human is not like ours. He could not have lived for so long. You should give up. Let go of the past and be my queen in earnest. We still have a long life ahead of us. Dofi has become much more sensible after losing her memory. As long as you sincerely show her goodwill, she will also forgive you. She will become an excellent elf queen.”

He paused.

“If you want to live an ordinary life, I can also hand over the throne to Dofi early, and then we can go to a countryside where no one will disturb us… just like before.”

If Veronica was willing, even if she still saw him as a brother and not a husband, he could accept it. In any case, it was better than being complete strangers for the past hundred years.

Just as he had let Fia and Claire be together, he had long understood that a person can only be happy with someone who loves them and whom they love. He had done things that had hurt her, and it was only natural that she hated him. But as long as she was willing to let go of the past, to let go of that irresponsible, spineless coward Clark, he was willing to do anything for her. Everything could start over.

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He could let her be completely free. Whether she cursed him or left him, he was willing to start over as her brother and re-cultivate their relationship. His feelings for her were sincere, something that could withstand any test. The likes of Clark were a world apart from him.

At this thought, his anger burned again. He couldn’t understand why someone like Clark could have stolen her heart, when he was the one who had spent the longest time with her, the one who loved her the most.

“Yelido, you’ve made a mistake about one thing.”

The coldness in her tone had subsided a lot. Veronica bit her lip. Compared to the woman who had been so cold to him, as if she were treating an enemy, the current her was much softer, and the hesitation in her eyes had more of a living feel to it, so much so that for a moment, he thought that the innocent and understanding sister had returned to his side.

“I did not live in that village because I liked the country life, but because Clark was by my side—”

“It had to be Clark, and not me?!” he asked, suppressing the anger in his heart.

She answered patiently and calmly.

“You and he are different. You are my older brother. You are both people I like. Why can’t we live in peace? He did not accept your duel, but it was definitely not because he was a coward and ran away. He must have had a reason for not being able to make it, or for not knowing. He is not a coward.”

“Hmph. Don’t try to make excuses for him. If you had me come over to say these things, then let’s just pretend we haven’t spoken. I can concede a lot, but on the premise that you have no more ties with that coward. He took you away from me once when I wasn’t looking. I will not let him take you a second time!”

With that, Yelido stood up unceremoniously from his seat. But a single sentence from her made him, who had already passed her, stop in his tracks.

“I just want to know if he is alive or dead. If you can do this, Yelido, I can call you ‘brother’ again, and I will let bygones be bygones.”

“…”

His expression suddenly became complicated. He did feel guilty towards her. Although she was just calling him “brother,” he understood that for her, this was already a huge concession.

Yelido did not turn back. His brow was tightly furrowed, and his hands were clasped tightly together.

“You know he can’t possibly still be alive. In the end, we don’t even know where he went. After Dofi brought him back from the Land of Exile, he left the Royal Castle on his own. Now, over a hundred years have passed. Who still remembers this man named Clark? Both his name and his appearance would have long since changed.”

Veronica stood up from the stone bench and looked at his back with a serious expression.

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“But I must find him. If he is still alive, you will know why he did not accept your duel back then. He will prove to you that he is not a coward.”

His eyebrows shot up, and a look of anger appeared on his rigid and majestic face.

“You mean to have him duel me again? It’s too late for that! Even if he is still alive, he is a half-dead man. To come and repay his debt at the end of his life, because he felt guilty for his cowardice back then, so that no matter if he wins or loses, he can make up for his regrets? How can there be such a good thing in the world? What do you take me for!”

“Yelido, this is the only request I have had in these hundred years. I just want to know if he is alive or dead. That is enough. You won’t even give me this chance? Even for Dofi’s sake—”

“You have no right to say Dofi’s name. Neither of us do.”

He cut her off roughly in a low tone. He took a deep breath and slowly calmed himself.

“If that coward is dead, what will you do?”

“…I will only see you as my brother.”

The subtext was that she would not see him as the same as Clark. However, this actually made him breathe a sigh of relief. He was not a fool. He knew that it was unrealistic to have her immediately see him as her husband. She would need a considerable amount of time, perhaps two hundred, perhaps three hundred years, to slowly change her mind. But that was enough.

It was just that after a hundred years, she still had Clark in her heart, and was even willing to let go of her past hatred to beg him to find him. It was somewhat infuriating and frustrating.

Abruptly, a thought that had never occurred to him before appeared in his mind. A voice was telling him that perhaps he would never be able to make her have a change of heart in this lifetime, that she would never see him as a lover. No matter how hard he tried to suppress this thought, he could not drive it from his mind.

Without showing his thoughts on his face, he tensed his whole body and said, feigning composure.

“I will order people to investigate his whereabouts. If he is found, I will allow you to see him. But in any case, this is a matter between us. Dofi is innocent. Do not drag her into this.”

“And Ana, too.”

“Hmph.”

With only vexation in his heart, he snorted heavily and said no more, quickly leaving the birdcage.