Volume 5, Chapter 7 – The Engagement of Two

“Dofi, you plan to leave Blossom the day after tomorrow?”

After lunch, Fia and Claire went to Yulisha’s residence. For some reason, Mizuki was also there. Compared to the third consort, who had to live in a remote corner of the royal castle due to her family’s decline, Yulisha’s residence was respectable. Although it wasn’t a vast and luxurious palace like Fia’s, it was up to the standard of high nobility. This was because Yulisha’s family was the Greyan family, and their status in the empire was self-evident.

Facing Yulisha across the tea table, Fia, sitting upright due to her nervousness, wore a serious expression.

“Yes. I want to restore the dead ley lines as soon as possible. If it drags on for too long, more and more people will become displaced.”

She had already become the de facto Eldest Princess, so of course, she had to do what the Eldest Princess should. When a disaster occurred in the country and she had the ability to help, there was naturally no reason not to.

Although she had only been in the World Tree Continent for a short three or four months, the number of disaster victims she had seen in that time was no less than the number of ordinary people. This world was filled with famine, plague, and war. If she didn’t possess a power that was astonishingly strong, everything would be a different story.

Yulisha, dressed in a magnificent white robe with her long, aqua-blue hair pinned up, sighed helplessly.

“You really are Yelido’s child. Just like him, the moment you hear of a disaster somewhere, you rush over in a hurry.”

That’s one of the reasons I fell for Yelido in the first place. A sense of responsibility is always a charming quality, Yulisha said in her heart.

“Your Majesty the Consort, Your Highness the Eldest Princess, the Shrine Maiden, and Miss Claire, please.”

While Fia and Yulisha were talking, an older-looking elf maid served black tea to the four of them. Finding her somewhat familiar, Fia couldn’t resist using [Wind of Exploration] to check the maid’s tier, and the result showed that she was at the Fourth Tier of power.

A high-ranking maid who seems familiar and works in the royal castle… Fia had a rough idea. This maid was probably a member of the Twilight Flower. The reason she couldn’t recall her name was likely because she was just a subordinate developed by a direct member, not one of the thirty-four direct members herself.

Erin Slate had previously given Fia a roster containing the portraits, strengths, and backgrounds of all non-direct members. Since there were several hundred of them, and these people didn’t know that the Eldest Princess was Thanatos, they were individuals Fia didn’t need to and couldn’t command directly. Thus, Fia had only casually flipped through it to get a general idea.

After the well-mannered and gracefully mature servant had withdrawn, Yulisha picked up her teacup, glanced at the door, and then smiled wryly.

“This new maid understands me better than the ones I brought from my family home. A while ago, Yelido even came here specifically to ask if I needed anything. Was that your doing, Dofi? Even Veronica’s disappearance wouldn’t make Yelido suddenly come to see me.”

“Uh…”

Her eyes filled with embarrassment, Fia’s hand under the table quietly fiddled with a strand of her white hair. She had indeed told Yelido that she preferred Mother Yulisha, but she hadn’t expected him to act so quickly. Moreover, her actions had been seen through by her mother at a glance. As the daughter who had pulled the strings, she couldn’t help but feel abashed.

“…Doesn’t Mother like it?”

“It’s not that I dislike it, but I’ve long since given up on Yelido and no longer have the passion I once did. I don’t know what kind of agreement you and he have reached, but you don’t need to go this far, Dofi. It’s no loss to me if things stay as they are.”

“We didn’t reach any agreement. I just told Father that I like Mother Yulisha more.”

If she had to say, she had simply hugged her father as a daughter, bringing their relationship back to normal.

“Like me more…”

Yulisha’s movements paused for a moment, and a look of joy appeared on her mature, feminine face. She put down her teacup and said teasingly.

“If your other mothers were to hear that, they would surely get jealous. You should have included them as well. Since I’m very happy, I’ll keep this secret for you.”

“What about me, what about me? Doesn’t little Fia like me?”

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Mizuki, who was sitting next to Yulisha, quickly leaned over and asked eagerly.

Fia answered in exasperation.

“You’re not the Seventeenth Consort anymore, Mizuki.”

“How can you call me by my name directly? You have no manners.”

When you grow up to be a mature woman like Mother Yulisha, then I’ll consider whether to call you ‘mother’, Fia retorted in her mind. She chose to ignore Mizuki’s clamor and instead took a rectangular gift box from her spatial backpack. Inside was the magic sword Erin Slate had given her.

Yulisha’s eyes instantly widened.

“Dofi, what is this?”

“It’s a gift for you from Claire.”

“Claire?”

Hearing Claire’s name, Yulisha’s brow furrowed, and her expression immediately turned serious.

Oh no, Mother is really angry.

Fia screamed inwardly.

Her other consort mothers had all visited her palace and met Claire. Only Mother Yulisha had made no move. The only possible answer was that she was waiting for Claire to visit her, not the other way around. In elf culture, there was no custom of a mother-in-law visiting her daughter-in-law first. After such a long delay, it was only natural for Mother Yulisha to feel disrespected by her future daughter-in-law. It was perfectly normal for her to be unhappy.

Before Fia could react, Yulisha’s gaze fell on Claire, who was sitting upright beside her. It was clear that Claire was also very nervous; she wasn’t wearing her usual smile, but her expression was tense.

The only fortunate thing now was probably that the divinity on Claire had not yet disappeared, so Mother Yulisha wouldn’t feel the Forgetting Curse on her.

“Claire, I’ve heard from the other consorts. To be with Dofi, you defeated Yelido.”

Yulisha crossed one leg and looked Claire up and down. Fia could clearly feel her mother’s gaze lingering on Claire’s chest and thighs for a relatively long time.

“You defeated Yelido, which means you have the ability to protect Dofi well. Although the high nobility of Silvar doesn’t encourage same-sex marriage, since it has come to this, I have no choice but to approve. However, our royal family is not like an ordinary family. My daughter cannot be married off and taken away so easily. Dofi will become the Queen of Silvar in the future. To be taken away by you just like that—”

“I don’t intend to take Fia away. I… I’m marrying little Fia,” although her face was flushed, Claire still managed to answer in a small voice. “It’s fine if I’m not the Queen Consort…”

“Hoh,” Yulisha’s previously stern eyes lit up. It seemed this was the sentence she had been waiting for. Her entire expression became one of great satisfaction. “Good, very good. A consort and not a duchess, then there’s no problem. Hmm… you look like you can bear ten children. A very suitable match for our Dofi.”

Wait, what are you saying, Mother? So as long as I’m not the one being married off, it’s fine? And can you really say something like ‘bear ten children’ to someone’s face?!

Although Liti had told her last night about the rules elf elders used to choose a daughter-in-law, and Fia had indeed noticed her mother staring at Claire’s chest and legs just now, hearing it with her own ears was still incredibly shocking. It felt as if her internal organs were buzzing and her brain was boiling… She hadn’t expected the royal family to be so blunt.

Ignoring the thunderstruck Fia and Claire, Yulisha simply nodded to herself and lamented.

“To be honest, Dofi still looks like a child even though she’s almost of age. I’ve always been worried about her future children. Now, with such a fine wife, I suppose I won’t have to worry about children anymore. Our elf growth cycle is very long, so we need a more responsible and suitable woman to be the mother. With a girl like you, Claire, the royal family will surely flourish in Dofi’s generation.”

As if she didn’t see the stiff expressions on Claire and Fia, Yulisha sighed as if in regret.

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“Hah, it’s a pity Dofi won’t be of age for another six years. Otherwise, I would have to see you pregnant right now. To think I could hold a granddaughter before I’m even three hundred years old…”

“Mother, p-please say a little less.”

She and Claire weren’t even married yet, and her mother already wanted to hold a granddaughter, ten of them at that. It was so embarrassing she wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. Were all elves this direct?

Yulisha tilted her head in confusion.

“Say less? Why? Haven’t you two already confirmed your relationship? Or did you secretly decide that Dofi would be the one to give birth? From an elder’s perspective, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Dofi looks like she wouldn’t have much milk—”

“AHEM!!!”

Her cheeks red enough to boil water—in fact, white steam was already rising from the top of her head—Fia began to cough pointedly.

“That’s still too far away… Mother, Claire and I aren’t even engaged yet.”

Compared to the thick-skinned Fia, Claire on the other side was so shy she seemed to have shut down, just staring at the ground, the tips of her ears turning a lovely shade of pink.

However, not only did Yulisha show no signs of shyness, but she also scolded Fia with a serious expression.

“What do you mean, too far away? Among the common folk, a child your age is already a mother of two or three. We require childbirth only after adulthood because we as royalty must lead by example and not break the rules of noble etiquette.”

A mother of two or three…

Fia imagined herself with one child on her back and one in each hand—it was simply hell. And with the long lifespan of elves, she felt that when the children grew up and she stood next to them, she would be shorter than them, making them look like her mothers.

Ignoring the petrified Fia, Yulisha bit her thumb seriously as if pondering a very solemn matter, her brows knitted together.

“Not being engaged is indeed a big problem. I’ve heard from others that Claire has an irremovable curse on her. Ultimately, Claire is human, and you, Dofi, are an elf. Your lifespans don’t match. This is not quite appropriate.”

Hearing Yulisha start to talk about serious matters, Fia had to answer properly despite her blush.

“Claire only looks human; she isn’t actually human. Her appearance hasn’t changed in ten years, so her lifespan is definitely not short. As for the engagement, we plan to get married after her curse is lifted.”

“Get married only after the curse is lifted? There are too many uncertainties. Who knows when this curse can be lifted? What if it takes several hundred years? Wouldn’t that mean I can’t live to see my granddaughter?” At this, Yulisha’s expression suddenly became grave. “Or is it that this curse is hereditary, so it must be lifted first?”

A curse shouldn’t be hereditary, right? Fia thought. She had always felt that she and Claire were still a long way from having children, so she hadn’t considered the issue of a hereditary curse. If the curse was hereditary, then they would have to speed up their search for the gods.

“Judging by your expressions, you haven’t even considered this problem. Forget it. At worst, we’ll just find another one and leave the matter of descendants to her. I think Erin Slate is a good choice. She was originally the daughter of a duke, and now she is the Sword Saint of Silvar. Her family background, appearance, and figure are all very suitable. Most importantly, she is your friend, and you have a good relationship.”

No, no, no, it’s precisely because we’re friends that this isn’t right, is it?

Not to mention Erin Slate was her subordinate. She couldn’t commit such a beastly act as making a move on a subordinate.

Besides, Claire was right there. To so casually decide on a second wife… should she say that the elf royal family’s view on marriage was very crude? On second thought, her father had a total of sixteen wives. Perhaps in the elf royal family, a king with only one wife was the strange one.

While Fia’s expression was strange, Yulisha had already taken the gift box from the table, as if she had already accepted Claire’s identity.

“I approve of this marriage. However, I want you two to get engaged right now. Where is Claire’s home? After you leave Blossom, I will personally go to her home to announce this marriage.”

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“I… I don’t have a home.”

Still not recovered from Yulisha’s shocking statements, Claire mumbled in a low voice with her hands on her knees, just short of covering her face with her silver hair.

“No home?” Yulisha showed a look of apology. “Sorry, I didn’t know. But the engagement still has to happen. Let’s do it now, according to our elf customs.”

“Ooh~ ooh~ This is a precious moment that must be recorded with a recording crystal,” Mizuki started to cheer from the side. She pulled out a recording crystal from somewhere and infused it with magic. “Let this new couple make their pact of love under the witness of this Shrine Maiden~”

“Pact of love…?”

Wasn’t an engagement something that could be decided once the parents of both sides met? Since Claire said she had no parents, it meant that as long as Mother Yulisha and Claire nodded, the matter would be settled. What was Mizuki so eager about?

Seeing the question marks all over Fia’s face, Mizuki hesitated.

“Don’t tell me you’ve even forgotten the engagement ceremony process, Fia?”

“I have.”

“To even forget this… Among us elves, an engagement requires the loving couple to kiss mouth-to-mouth in front of their parents. If they have a Mana Surge, they also have to press them together through their clothes. But Claire isn’t an elf, so the Mana Surge part can be omitted.”

“K-kiss? Here?”

Fia didn’t react for a moment. They had kissed many times, but in front of a parent? This would be a first.

To do something so intimate in front of Mother Yulisha, what kind of torture is this?

Fia couldn’t help but cast a pleading gaze at Yulisha, but her mother just looked back at her with a serious expression, as if this were a perfectly natural procedure.

“Little Fia and little Claire, hurry up and start. I can’t wait any longer. Two beautiful girls in love being affectionate, and one of them is my daughter. Just thinking about it is wonderful.”

Are you a pervert…?

Although she thought this, the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be fired. Since it was an elf custom, it couldn’t be helped. She had to pass this trial from Mother Yulisha. Fia repeated similar statements in her mind to hypnotize herself.

She turned to Claire, who was sitting beside her, and looked up, conveying her question with her eyes. All she saw was Claire’s crimson cheeks and those emerald eyes, filled with shyness and a mix of resistance and welcome. Although there was some distance between them, she felt as if she could touch Claire’s hot breath and smell the faint scent of medicine wafting over, as if the current Claire was so soft she would fall over with a gentle push.

She’s basically seducing me.

Fia had no choice but to open [Message].

That is, Claire, this can’t be helped…

Mm…

Although it was a [Message], Fia felt she could hear Claire’s shyness. She had long known that Claire was the type to appear composed on the surface but was actually incredibly shy. Thus, every time she heard Claire’s voice, which seemed to invite delinquency, she couldn’t help but be stirred. Claire was a beautiful girl with the inviolable, elegant, and holy appearance of a goddess; this contrast made it difficult to remain calm.

Then I’ll…

As she said this in her mind, Fia looked up and swallowed. In response, Claire, who was a little taller, lowered her head and closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling delicately, as if in fear.

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Then, their lips slowly drew closer, finally pressing together.

“Ooh ooh ooh! They’re kissing, they’re kissing! Congratulations!! This recording must be sent to all the elves in Silvar! It would be great if it could be displayed by the Holy Tree, just like Fia’s Holy Tree Dance that day. Tsk tsk, what a hopeful scene.”

Completely entranced, Mizuki held the recording crystal with one hand and caressed her cheek with the other.

Having already separated from Claire, Fia, her face red, retorted, trying to suppress her shyness.

“Why are you happier about this than I am?”

“Seeing beautiful girls being affectionate, isn’t it normal to be happy? Besides, little Fia and Claire have a height difference. This sister-like relationship is even more wonderful.”

“…”

Fia was speechless for a moment. She had to find a chance to secretly steal the recording crystal from Mizuki and destroy it. No, treasuring it wasn’t a bad idea either. She could watch Claire’s shy appearance anytime.

With such thoughts, Fia stole a glance at Claire, who was already so shy she was covering her face with her hands, not daring to look at anyone.

“Alright, this counts as an engagement. From now on, we just have to wait for Dofi to come of age. You two will stay here tonight. It is only proper that I personally cook dinner for you.”

Saying this, Yulisha rose from the sofa in a cheerful mood. She first patted Claire’s shoulder in praise, then stroked Fia’s head and whispered in her ear.

“Well done.”

What do you mean, ‘well done’?

Before Fia could turn her head in surprise, Yulisha had already left the room with Mizuki, looking pleased. As she left, Mizuki didn’t forget to wink and give Fia a thumbs-up in praise.

After the room quieted down, Claire, who had finally recovered, asked timidly.

“I… I passed the test, right?”

“I think so?”

“That’s good…” Claire let out a long sigh. She kept her hands on her knees, her gaze fixed on the ground, and said timidly, “That just now… want to do it again?”

That just now refers to—

The thought had just appeared in her mind when Fia’s whole body tensed up. She first used [Mana Vision] to confirm that no one was eavesdropping outside the room, then nodded lightly and answered in a small voice.

“Yes.”

“Then…”

Shyly yet determinedly, Claire looked at Fia’s cherry-colored lips. Unlike the previous shyness, this time, mixed with rapid breathing and a strong desire for each other, their lips intertwined with incredible heat.

Translator Note

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