24. When someone falls, they need a hug to get back up
Regarding the “terms of exchange” I proposed, whether the second princess of the white-haired elves, Edraiel, agreed in her heart was completely irrelevant to me; after all, I only needed to know how she would physically respond.
As my words fell, the only response from this princess was to stand frozen in place as if under a binding spell, her eyes filled with a hatred and unwillingness that seemed ready to shred me to pieces, yet she dared not take a step forward or utter a sound. She could only watch as I unilaterally finalized this “exchange” and then saw us off as we departed.
As for the “Elven Sword Saint Ludwig” who had originally made me worry for Kephiel and Nilu, it was even less worth mentioning: I increasingly felt that this character was overly inflated, even lacking the courage of Princess Edraiel herself.
In short, after this, our group, accompanied by the elven saintess Izalis, who had temporarily escaped the threat of the death script, left the sub-city of the Rodland Kingdom overnight. To avoid any lingering troubles, it was clearly best to leave the area under the actual control of the other party as soon as possible.
The next day, Izalis was at her residence in the main city of the Rodland Kingdom.
Although the death script that Izalis had encountered had vanished with our hasty departure last night, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I still managed to shake off Kephiel and Nilu, allowing them to use their respective fairy powers to gather some information within the city, lest that princess, feeling unsatisfied afterward, come chasing after us directly.
As the “mastermind” behind last night’s rescue plan for the elven saintess, I naturally had to stay in the same room with her, waiting quietly for this elven saintess, who had fallen asleep the moment she relaxed after a series of dangers, to wake up.
At this moment, in my line of sight, the goddess-like, stunning elven girl lay defenseless with her eyes closed, just within my reach. Was the danger she faced last night truly so intense? Even now, as she rested, a hint of frailty graced Izalis’s face, but this difficult appearance did not make her look haggard; rather, it seemed to evoke more pity from others, making it hard for any male to resist the urge to reach out…
“Smack!”
In the next moment, I slapped the back of my left hand with my right, just to see how it felt. If I were to actually touch her, I wouldn’t know how to explain it in front of my wife.
However, the crisp sound of the slap startled Izalis, who had been drifting into a lighter sleep, and she slowly awakened.
Her bright eyes gradually opened, and after moistening her slightly dry lips, Izalis finally noticed my presence. As she propped herself up to sit, her gaze turned increasingly surprised.
“You…”
“Kephiel and Nilu helped you wash and change; it has nothing to do with me!”
I hurriedly interrupted the potentially awkward atmosphere before Izalis could form any strange misunderstandings about me. After we brought Izalis back while she was asleep, it was Nilu who had wiped her body and Kephiel who had changed her clothes.
As for me? I was counting the black spots on the ceiling outside the door.
“Thank you.”
After expressing her gratitude, Izalis turned to get out of bed, but today, unlike usual, she did not float up immediately. Instead, she stared at the pair of women’s boots I had placed there merely for show, and after a moment, she put them on and bent down to clumsily tie her shoelaces, struggling even with the bow.
Then… as expected, things went awry.
Before I could even be surprised by Izalis putting on her shoes, she attempted to stand but lost her balance, swaying dangerously and nearly falling backward. If I hadn’t quickly caught her arm, the saintly image she had so painstakingly presented in front of me would have vanished in an instant.
“I’m sorry, Lord Oujilide, I haven’t engaged in ordinary movements for a long time…”
Izalis, holding onto my arm, resembled a child just learning to walk, leaning her entire weight against me. To put it simply… she was using me as support while she took tiny steps.
The scent emanating from her, beloved and revered by the entire populace of the white-haired elven kingdom, was undeniable, and the softness brought by this all-encompassing contact made it even harder for me to look at her without turning my head away, despite my clear conscience!
“Izalis, I think it’s better for you to just float like that.”
However, Izalis’s response left me momentarily stunned, unsure whether it was a calculated remark or a genuine expression of her feelings.
“Usually, that’s how it is, but… I feel I shouldn’t present myself as superior in front of someone who has saved me once.”
Perhaps, as Izalis said, after this elf chose not to “float” anymore, the difference in our heights became apparent: she looked to be about the same height as Kfir, and rather than me “helping her learn to walk,” it seemed more like I was simply holding her.
If Kfir and Nilu were to return at this moment, I could practically reserve a few luxurious washboards.
After I “helped” her sit down in a chair, I felt a sense of relief in my heart and in various parts of my body. As for Izalis, she probably had no ulterior motives, after all, she didn’t show any expression of triumph; instead, after sitting down, she stared somewhat distressed at her slightly raised legs, her eyes filled with disappointment, as if she were looking at a pair of firewood sticks that wouldn’t obey her commands.
“This is already your residence, Izalis.”
Seeing that she was awake, I began to recount everything that had happened after she had relaxed and then fallen into a deep sleep last night. “We returned overnight from Princess Aiderel. Kfir and Nilu are currently investigating the situation outside; at least for now… there are no signs of retaliation from the other side, so you should be safe.”
“And… we are very curious about the reasons behind Aiderel’s actions towards you last night, but there’s no need to rush. I’ll call a servant to prepare your washing and breakfast, and I’ll also summon Kfir and Nilu back. We can discuss it once everyone is here.”
It was for a serious matter, but part of my reason for leaving was to escape the suddenly “strange” atmosphere that had settled after our solitude. However…
This time, the saintly young lady, who had finally “woken up,” seemed unwilling to let me slip away as easily as before.
“Please wait a moment, Lord Oqilid, may I ask you some questions about last night?”
Half of her gaze seemed like a spell, binding all my actions in my heart at that moment.
“I have many, many things I want to ask you about yourself.”
The girl’s hands were clasped in front of her chest; perhaps… no one could resist such a request.
“It’s about you, yourself.”
“Right now…”
“It’s best if it’s just the two of us…”
——
The brother who helped me with illustrations during the National Day holiday has returned to his hometown, so new illustrations will have to wait until after the holiday.