Volume 8, Chapter 50 – A Maiden’s Leisure and Longing

The next day.

Inside the garden of the Twilight Palace, Blossom Royal City.

Autumn had arrived in Blossom, no longer as hot as summer. The sea breeze, carrying a salty tang and humid air, swept across the entire city from the coastline. The coolness from sweat evaporating on the skin was refreshing. Coupled with the sight of the golden Holy Tree’s crown gently swaying in the sea breeze, and the rustling sound of lush leaves rubbing together, Blossom under the vast blue sky became exceptionally pleasant to live in.

Especially the large, golden leaves of the Holy Tree slowly drifting down from the heights, which cast a dreamy veil over Blossom. Not only Fia, but even the residents of Blossom were seeing the Holy Tree shed its leaves for the first time. Normally, the Holy Tree shedding its leaves would make the elves nervous and uneasy, thinking something major was about to happen. But this time, the Holy Tree emitted a peaceful magical power, letting people feel it was just a normal seasonal change.

In reality, no one had yet picked up a fallen leaf from the Holy Tree; it seemed the leaves disappeared on their own before reaching the ground.

Beneath this rare and beautiful scenery, a group of maidens taking a break had gathered in the Twilight Palace garden.

Besides Fia and her group who were supposed to be at the Twilight Palace, there was Fia’s mother Yulisha, Nola whom Fia had “mysteriously” brought along, as well as Lucitine, Ruth, and Afla. At that moment, Lucitine was sitting at a table in the garden courtyard. Her hands were under the table, her head bowed, her queenly, elegant face filled with shame.

“Sorry, Fia, for you having to witness that embarrassing scene yesterday. I didn’t expect that woman to be serious.”

The so-called embarrassing scene referred to her quarrel with the first Venex. Lucitine’s memories did contain a rule forbidding the Queen of Death from falling in love, but including the previous Venexes, no one had ever taken this rule to heart.

The reason previous Queens of Death didn’t fall in love was simply the lack of a suitable partner. The undead in the Netherworld all had self-deprecating personalities, only capable of worship and reverence for the Queen of Death. They were sincerely submissive at the Queen of Death’s feet. Naturally, no suitable target for love could emerge from such an environment. It was only in Lucitine’s generation that an anomaly like Fia appeared—someone who not only turned the Queen of Death into a living person but could also freely enter and leave the kingdom of the dead, where death energy was extremely concentrated, with a living body.

Fia, sitting across the table from Lucitine, gently waved her hand, signaling Lucitine not to worry about it.

“It’s okay. Lucitine didn’t want that to happen either. More importantly, does the first Lucitine really have no way to restrict you? She seemed to have a backup plan.”

“Soul, body, and Ninth-Tier strength—they’re all with me. She has no way to restrict me. I won’t go back to that place again. Rather than go there and become something neither human nor ghost, I’d rather the memories that constitute me disappear forever. That would be more satisfying—”

Sensing that everyone around was watching her resentful tone, Lucitine’s expression froze. She suddenly remembered that this time she had brought an extra attendant, unlike last time’s atmosphere where she could say whatever she wanted. She beckoned to Afla, who stood with her hands clasped at her waist, her head deeply bowed in an awkward stance.

“Skip this topic. Afla, come here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“How does Fia plan to punish her? I am the law of the undead. Whatever you want to do, I won’t interfere.”

“Ah, I already have an idea about that. Lucitine doesn’t have any plans for today, right? Stay at the Twilight Palace for a day. I need Afla to cooperate with me on something.”

Lucitine looked back at Afla, whose skin was taut, her tone indifferent and completely different from her usual self.

“You heard that.”

“Yes. I will do my utmost to cooperate with Lady Fia.”

Don’t scare Afla like that. Watching Afla’s shoulders tremble slightly, Fia couldn’t help but find it both funny and sad. When she first met Afla, she was like a hedgehog covered in spines, but now she was like a punctured pufferfish.

Wait, wasn’t Nola like that too?

Mentioning pufferfish reminded Fia of Nola. Initially, because of the Claire situation, no matter what Fia said to Nola, Nola was like an inflated pufferfish, impossible to get a handle on…

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Wait.

Before complaining, she should first introduce Lucitine to Nola.

Ever since Fia brought Nola here, Nola had been hiding in the corner like a wife meeting her mother-in-law, shrinking her neck and not daring to speak. Nola’s gaze wasn’t directed at Yulisha, but occasionally at Lucitine sitting across from Fia. Because Ruth, who was sitting with her, had told her this was Ruth’s mother—that is, the mother of her goddess.

Another thing that must be mentioned: the stone pavilion in the Twilight Palace courtyard wasn’t very large, so not everyone could sit. Among the group, only Fia, Yulisha, and Lucitine sat at the stone table. Ruth and Nola sat side-by-side on a bench outside the pavilion, while Claire, Anastasia, Liti, and Milu, because Yulisha was present, obediently sat on the stone stools at the pavilion’s edge.

This feeling of being treated like a mother by everyone was quite agreeable to Yulisha, who had never been pregnant. Even though she didn’t know Lucitine, the way she looked at her was full of maternal affection.

Fia put her right fist to her lips and cleared her throat forcefully.

“Ahem. Nola, come here for a moment.”

“O… okay!”

Like a student called on by the teacher who can’t answer the question, Nola stood up stiffly. While casting a pleading glance at Ruth—who returned an encouraging look—she walked into the stone pavilion with an expression of resolve. The biggest reason she was like this was, of course, meeting the mother of her goddess. But another important factor was that everyone, including Fia and Claire, was watching her. The feeling of being focused on by countless eyes made her exceptionally nervous, afraid that one wrong move would make everyone laugh.

In truth, Nola felt quite inferior in front of everyone. She didn’t understand aristocratic etiquette, couldn’t even read. Compared to Claire and Anastasia, she was far behind. Of course, she had secretly worked hard. Whenever she had free time living in Cold Night, she would humbly ask Tilulu for guidance. Unfortunately, the fire cat was too clumsy and still hadn’t learned properly.

Her fiery red cat tail was tightly clamped between her legs. Her ears were pressed down, covering her fiery red hair, making her look earless. She didn’t have the courage to look directly into Lucitine’s eyes, only daring to stare at the tabletop. Opening her mouth, she said nervously.

“Ah—”

The moment she uttered the sound, Nola froze.

She realized a fatal fact: she didn’t know how to address Lucitine.

She could call Lucitine “mother of the goddess” in her heart, but she couldn’t possibly say that to her face. It would be as strange as calling Yulisha “Fia’s mother” instead of Yulisha. Instantly, her palms and back began to sweat, and the tip of her tail, clamped between her legs, trembled uncontrollably from side to side.

You idiot.

She really wanted to pull Nola into her arms and rub her head and pinch her cheeks fiercely.

Thinking this, Fia, who had already seen Nola’s predicament, smiled and sighed. She took Nola’s hand and guided her to sit on the only remaining stone stool, which was opposite Yulisha.

“This is Lucitine. Her full name is Venex Ravi Tartaros. Lucitine is a nickname. Nola’s goddess, Ruth, is a part split off from Lucitine’s soul—in other words, Lucitine’s daughter. Nola should probably call her Grandmother Lucitine. No, that generation is too high, and it doesn’t sound good. Just call her Lucitine directly. Calling her ‘big sister’ affectionately would probably be fine too.”

“B… but Lady Goddess is Lady Lucitine’s daughter! How could I directly address Lady Lucitine as ‘big sister’!”

“Don’t worry, Ruth is a goddess, broad-minded. How could she have such petty thoughts?”

Ignoring Ruth’s wide-eyed stare from outside the pavilion, Fia patted her chest in assurance. Then she turned to Lucitine.

“This is Nola, the chieftain of the Cold Night’s Fire Cat tribe. She got lost in the Weeping Mountains before and was saved by Ruth, who was disguised as a goddess. Since then, she’s regarded Ruth as her goddess. Don’t let her inexperienced appearance fool you; she’s a true hard worker, much stronger than her peers, and very likable. Ah, also, Nola and I are also in a lover’s relationship.”

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Although the last sentence was quite embarrassing, Fia still chose to disclose it. Among those present, only Lucitine and her mother Yulisha were unaware. To avoid misunderstandings, it was better to clarify first.

Very visibly, Yulisha’s hand resting on the stone table trembled slightly. Her amber eyes seemed to want to say something, but Lucitine, as naive as Nola, spoke up first. She widened her pink eyes, her expression showing surprise.

“Then isn’t she a senior? Calling me Lucitine directly is fine.”

“Se… senior…?”

Lucitine’s statement made Nola tilt her head in confusion. Fia, on the other hand, was covered in black lines.

‘Senior’ my foot.

Without Lucitine explaining, Fia understood that Lucitine meant ‘senior’ in terms of fiancée status. Nola came before Lucitine.

The generational hierarchy was getting more and more confused.

“Anyway, I’ll still address Lady Lucitine as Lady Lucitine. No matter what, I can’t just call her by name.”

“Dofi, when did you get another fiancée? Why didn’t you introduce her to me?”

As soon as Nola finished speaking, Yulisha’s voice rang out. Fia sensed a hint of displeasure in her mother’s tone, as if she was angry at not being informed beforehand.

Not daring to face her mother, Fia chose to deflect. She strenuously widened her ruby-like eyes, feigning innocence, and even specifically blinked to look cute.

“Huh? Father didn’t tell you? I remember telling Father about my relationship with Nola. I thought he would have told you… Although Mother has already met Nola, let me introduce her properly. Nola, this is my mother, Yulisha Alexia Yushir, currently the First Queen of Silvar. Mother, this is Nola, who received food aid from you before.”

“Y-Your Majesty, Queen Yulisha! Thank you so much for your help that day!”

Facing Nola, who had stood up and was bowing with great ceremony, Yulisha’s gentle face showed a smile.

But it was a teasing smile.

Yulisha straightened her back and deliberately adopted a questioning tone.

“Oh ho? You still address me with such a distant term as ‘Your Majesty’?”

“Eep.”

Nola was so scared her red hair trembled. Instead of straightening up, she maintained her bowing posture and said cautiously.

“Then should I call you…”

“You should call me ‘Mother’ or ‘Mama,’ just like Dofi.”

Hearing Yulisha’s words, Nola was so shocked she abruptly lifted her head. The sudden and violent force made Fia break out in a sweat for Nola, worried she might bump her head on the table.

“B… but I’m not yet Fia’s fiancée like Claire…”

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As if stating something only natural, Yulisha interlaced her fingers and showed a cunning yet charming smile.

“Dofi has already agreed to be your lover. Would she refuse you in the future? Becoming a fiancée is just a matter of time. Or is it that Nola wants to test Dofi? Does she think Dofi is unsuitable and won’t become her fiancée?”

“How could I ever refuse Fia!”

Her voice was loud enough for everyone in the entire garden to hear. In an instant, everyone’s gaze focused on Nola. The air became eerily silent, leaving only the gently swaying branches in the garden.

Very visibly, Fia saw Nola’s face rapidly flush crimson. The fiery red cat ears on her head showed signs of flames sparking—Nola probably hadn’t noticed that the tip of her tail, clamped between her legs, was already on fire.

Claire couldn’t help but cover her mouth and snicker. Anastasia also wanted to laugh, but her personality only allowed her to turn her face away. On the other side, Liti was gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. Comparatively, Milu was much better; she was just counting on her fingers, reckoning she had only four more years until adulthood.

It was worth mentioning that only Lucitine cast an admiring and approving look at Nola. Her pink eyes seemed to emit stars, as if she truly regarded Nola as a senior.

Finally, it was Yulisha who broke the silence. She pouted.

“See? Dofi won’t refuse you, and you won’t refuse Dofi. Doesn’t that already make you fiancées? Making the Holy Son of Cold Night your fiancée—this is an unprecedented event in history. Our Dofi is truly honored.”

“No, no, no… I’m the one who’s honored. I made such a terrible impression on Fia at first, even tried to kill her. But Fia has not only constantly helped me, but also allowed me to stay by her side. I’m the one who should be grateful…”

“Between husband and wife, don’t say such distant words as ‘grateful.’ First, call me ‘Mama’ and let’s hear it.”

“Will His Majesty the Elf King have a problem with that…?”

“Don’t worry. As long as you truly love each other, His Majesty won’t stop you. Especially in your case, Nola. If His Majesty sees you and Dofi happily together, he will surely feel gratified.”

“Why?”

Yulisha didn’t answer Nola; she just smiled and let Nola guess for herself. The reason was the same as when Yelido gifted food to Nola—unspeakable.

She’d probably get away with it like this, Fia thought. Honestly, her position was also subtle. Even though she knew this was a world with very open ethical concepts and no one would say anything about her, the conceptions from the Human Alliance still fettered her. Announcing that she had a third fiancée in front of everyone made her feel as if sitting on pins and needles. If conditions permitted, she would have already slipped away.

Unfortunately, Yulisha didn’t let things slide so easily. Fia could clearly feel her mother, with her coiled aqua-blue hair and wearing a blue ceremonial dress, a smile turning colder. Yulisha put her hands together and tilted her head slightly, showing a kind smile.

“Well then, no time like the present. Let’s first establish the engagement according to our elven customs, shall we? Little Nola has come at just the right time. In two months, it will be Dofi’s wedding. If we establish the engagement now, in two months you can officially become a member of the Alexia family. Anastasia too, you’ve only verbally agreed to the engagement, right? You haven’t gone through the ceremony, have you? His Majesty is too negligent in this regard; I must supervise. Anastasia, come here. For the time being, let’s go in order of seniority. Anastasia first. This just so happens to serve as a demonstration for Nola, who is unfamiliar with elven etiquette.”

“Establishing the engagement’s customs…?”

Even Anastasia couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion. But Fia, who had experienced an engagement ceremony before, immediately became restless, her heart racing. The so-called engagement ceremony meant the loving couple performing a sacred kiss in front of their parents. Back then, her kiss with Claire was only in front of Mother Yulisha alone. Now, with so many people present, the embarrassment level has greatly increased.

“It’s mouth-to-mouth intimacy, oh~”

Claire reminded from the side, her lips curved. More than displeasure, Claire seemed to be enjoying the show. When Yulisha had made this request of her, it made her feel her face was as burning hot as fire. Now, not only was Anastasia about to experience it, but little Nola, whom she had raised, would also follow suit. Of course, she wanted to adopt a motherly mindset and carefully record this blush-inducing moment of little Nola’s growth.

“Uh.”

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Realizing what was about to happen, Anastasia froze as if struck by lightning. Nola, on the other hand, reacted even more intensely, with a “poof” as flames erupted directly from the top of her head, causing the temperature in the cool stone pavilion to rise rapidly.

Anastasia coyly clasped her hands together, her body also trembling nervously.

“I… I am merely a servant… Your Majesty Yulisha… th… this step is still too early…”

Anastasia stammered, her azure eyes filled with quite a bit of fear. Nola nodded vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. It wasn’t that she lacked resolve, but to do it in front of so many people, especially three formidable existences—her former lover Claire, her goddess Ruth, and Ruth’s mother Lucitine—it was an embarrassment level that made her want to find a crack to crawl into. Remember, when she confessed, she only dared to meet Fia in a secluded corner, and it had taken her with great difficulty to muster the courage.

Yulisha frowned, her amber eyes showing displeasure.

“What do you mean ‘too early’? I’ve long heard His Majesty say he recognizes you. Since His Majesty recognizes you, I naturally have nothing to say. Or is it that your love for Dofi isn’t deep enough to overcome your shyness? You are a fiancée recognized by Dofi. Don’t constrain yourself with the identity of a servant anymore. If you can’t muster the resolve for an engagement now, how will you face the wedding in two months? Dofi, stand up too.”

“Mother, can’t we do this sort of thing after we go back…”

“Now is the time. Hurry up, don’t dawdle.”

“Guuh.”

Fia strenuously swallowed. She shilly-shallied as she stood up, then looked at Anastasia, who was a bit taller than her. Both her face and Anastasia’s were as red as ripe apples, too embarrassed to be seen. Anastasia’s pointed ears had turned a beautiful pink, seemingly about to emit steam.

“Anastasia…”

“Little Fia needs to hurry, don’t keep Nola waiting too long.”

Claire, why are you learning from Mizuki at a time like this!

Fia shouted inwardly. But with her mother’s command upon her, she could only hold Anastasia’s hands with both of hers and gaze into Anastasia’s eyes, trying to create an atmosphere that would make them forget their shyness.

Anastasia’s hands were also very hot…

She felt she could even hear Anastasia’s pounding heartbeat.

Although embarrassed, once she became aware of what was about to happen, Fia felt all the blood in her body rapidly surge. Every cell in her body seemed to cheer and leap, running at full speed. Her mind, as if lacking oxygen, heard a buzzing sound. Her breathing and the rise and fall of her chest became rapid. A layer of cute, fine sweat appeared on her forehead. Her mind was left with only the thought of Anastasia’s sweet lips.

She closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and slowly brought her lips towards Anastasia’s. The orchid fragrance emanating from Fia attracted Anastasia as if it had magical power. Gradually, Anastasia’s field of vision went from Fia’s delicate, snow-white face to nothing but Fia’s moist, red lips. She timidly swallowed, cautiously glanced at Yulisha, and after confirming she wouldn’t be disliked by Yulisha, she dared to tremblingly close her eyes, her lips deeply imprinting on Fia’s red lips.

“Oooh…”

Although they weren’t the ones kissing, everyone felt strong shyness and embarrassment. Most people shyly averted their gaze at the last moment. Only two people stared intently at Fia and Anastasia.

One was Nola, the other was Lucitine.

Especially Lucitine, sitting at the table, who could observe their kiss from a lower angle. She looked as if watching something extremely dazzling, her pink eyes showing longing and yearning, her neck stretched long, her mouth unconsciously slightly open. Her slender fingers unconsciously touched her own lips as she stared dazedly at the intoxicated couple.