Chapter 4: The Aftermath (Or is it?)
Nadia waited for Shelley’s exclamation. Just like other men, he would marvel at her status, and then a disgusting possessiveness would rise within him.
If that was the case…
“Your status is worthy of your beauty.”
“What!?”
Her veil had long been lost during the prolonged battle. Shelley carefully examined this face possessing astonishing charm.
Her forehead bore a slight sheen of sweat, and her exquisite features were filled with languor. Her already moving face was now imbued with an added touch of enchantment.
Nadia’s eyes were light brown, matching her flaxen long hair perfectly. That hair, reaching down to her waist, was currently being played with in Shelley’s hands.
Feeling a bit ticklish, she shook her head gently, rescuing her hair from the demon’s hands.
“You really are good at making women happy… You must have said these words to many people.”
Nadia spoke somewhat awkwardly. Even she felt that these didn’t sound like words she would say.
Did I really say that? Like a girl acting spoiled with her lover.
Feeling a bit shy, Nadia twirled the rescued hair around her finger.
Gently covering Nadia’s small hand resting on the quilt with his own, Shelley whispered softly in her ear:
“Due to my status, making women happy is a necessary means for my survival.”
“I hope you won’t be disappointed in me, respected King of Ir.”
Nadia’s hand, twirling her hair, paused. Without turning back, she said faintly:
“You know of me?”
Chuckling lightly, Shelley tightened his grip on her slightly cold hand. He pressed his forehead against her hair and said gently:
“I know. Your story is sung among the mixed-blood races. Your achievements rank among the forefront of the entire Material Plane.”
Shelley did indeed know her. A legendary female Sorcerer who went from a homeless half-elf slave to the recognized Queen of Half-Elves over the course of a hundred and fifty years.
Perhaps because of the large number of female deities, and mana not favoring males, Queens were a common sight in this world.
Half-elves, like other mixed-bloods, belonged neither to humans nor elves; they survived in the cracks between the two races.
Aside from love between parents, a large part of their birth was due to the slave trade.
Beautiful elven slaves had always been fanatically pursued by nobles, and half-elves were the byproducts.
Elves considered them filthy, while humans were an absolutely xenophobic race.
Half-elves walked between two worlds, yet belonged to neither.
Under Nadia’s leadership, half-elves fought everywhere and finally established their own country on the Lanto Plains.
Since then, half-elves finally broke free from the status of slaves and gained the respect of other races.
Nadia was the protector of half-elves, a well-deserved Queen.
“Then… you’re still being so presumptuous now.”
Let go of me already!
“No, it’s different.” Shelley gently grabbed back the small hand that was about to pull away, letting her feel his warmth.
“Your achievements and status are beyond my reach right now.”
“But right now… our relationship doesn’t seem to be that of a Queen and her admirer.”
Hmm… normally, it wouldn’t be like this…
“It has already happened. What are your thoughts?”
Nadia fell silent. She didn’t withdraw her slender hand from Shelley’s grasp. Slowly exhaling, she leaned back, resting against his warm body.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”
He laughed softly:
“I am afraid, and yet not afraid.”
“In the eyes of outsiders, the King of Ir is cold and ruthless. She is tyrannical, powerful, icy…”
“But in the eyes of half-elves, the Queen is incomparably benevolent. All beautiful words are insufficient to describe her: tolerant, kind, gentle…”
“I once thought about this question: what would such a complex person actually be like?”
Thinking of the outside world’s evaluation of her, Nadia also laughed and asked curiously:
“So, did you come to a conclusion?”
Noticing the improved mood of the person in his arms, Shelley breathed a slight sigh of relief and shook his head:
“Not at that time. I also asked my Paladin mentor. This is what he said…”
“Right and wrong, good and evil naturally differ in the eyes of different people. Some young Paladins, driven by a sense of justice, can be blindly used by others and end up doing wrong.”
“So…”
“I think the King of Ir is cold and ruthless, the Half-Elf Queen is benevolent, and…”
“Nadia is gentle. After all… you gave me a choice more than once.”
Putting himself in her shoes, if he were Nadia and a strange male appeared in his room, he would arrest him immediately!
Who cares if you’re a good person or not? Beat you up first, ask questions later!
But when Nadia encountered this situation, she just sat silently on the chaise lounge waiting for Shelley to wake up.
There might have been elements of curiosity and confidence, but her actions showed that her heart was definitely not cold and tyrannical.
Later, facing his slightly frivolous probing actions, she simply got angry and ignored him, going back to bed to sleep.
Finally, after the most absurd thing happened, instead of killing him to silence him immediately, she beat around the bush to ask about his attitude.
Shelley had never imagined that a racial ruler could be so gentle.
Ah! Perhaps…
“Perhaps, both the King of Ir and the Half-Elf Queen are your masks. Having worn them for too long, you yourself have started to forget…”
The gentle and clear voice slowly flowed into her ears and entered Nadia’s heart.
“…Really, somewhat annoying.”
Annoying…
Why?
Why is it only now that someone understands me?
No one knew that the former Nadia was the one who cried the most among her siblings.
People only remembered the tyranny of the King of Ir, the tolerance of the Half-Elf Queen…
She felt less and less like herself, so she secretly established a merchant guild, treating every trip as an escape, enjoying the feeling of freedom.
Escaping from the burdens of race, escaping from the expectations of her subjects…
Feeling the suppressed trembling of her body, Shelley reached out and pulled Nadia into his arms, saying gently, very gently:
“It’s okay. No one will know, only me.”
“You’ve worked very hard. You can rest for a while.”
“Tia.”
Turning around, she threw herself into his arms, and suppressed, sorrowful sobs came from Nadia’s throat.
“Tia, you must survive!”
“Tia, Mom loves you.”
“Sister, live on…”
Memories she thought were blurred resurfaced in her mind. Nadia felt as if something inside her had torn open.
Her parents and family were all gone. She was the only one left in the world, burdened with the fate of her entire race.
Shelley didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to make a move. He just gently stroked her smooth long hair and sang a half-elf ballad he knew.
…
After a long time, Nadia stopped crying. Pursing her lips, she turned away awkwardly and used Prestidigitation to clear the tears from both of them.
“You are not allowed to tell anyone!” Nadia said fiercely, then buried her head in the quilt.
“Also, you are not allowed to call me Tia!” A muffled voice came from under the quilt.
At least not now!
“Mm-hm, this is our secret.”
A secret? That’s fine too.
Thinking this, Nadia silently closed her eyes.
…
“Ouch…”
Hearing a faint cry, Shelley looked at Nadia, who was getting dressed, and noticed her slightly furrowed brows.
Catching Shelley’s gaze, she said grumpily:
“What are you looking at! Little rascal!”
Avoiding looking at Nadia’s fair skin, Shelley walked up behind her, hugged her, and light shone from his body.
“Cure Wounds.”
In ceaseless battles, Nadia had suffered many injuries and received countless treatments, but this one felt the warmest.
After casting the spell, Shelley didn’t continue hugging Nadia but helped her slowly get dressed.
Gently putting the veil on for her, he stepped back half a pace, admired her, and praised earnestly:
“You are truly beautiful, Lady Nadia.”
This sentence was sincere. Although he had seen countless noble ladies, none had shocked him as much as Nadia did at this moment.
Dressed in her attire, Nadia now carried an aura she didn’t have before: noble, powerful, and unfathomable.
Not the mystery from the beginning, nor the shyness lying on the bed just now, nor the glimpse of fragility.
Nadia’s aura at this moment made Shelley truly think of…
A Queen.
“You are also very handsome, Mr. Shelley.”
Shelley, dressed in newly delivered clothes, possessed the temperament of a noble, the loyalty of a Paladin, matched with his unique appearance.
Nadia believed that even in the elven kingdoms known for their beauty, this man before her would be sought after.
“Do you have any plans for your visit to Lunt?”
The Half-Elf Queen wouldn’t come to this relatively remote southern kingdom casually; she must have her reasons.
“No… No, I will be staying here for a while.”
She had intended to say she was just passing through, but the words changed on her lips.
What on earth am I doing…
Watching Nadia’s slightly changing expression, Shelley pretended not to notice anything and reached out his hand to bow to her:
“Then I will be your guide for this period, Miss Nadia.”
“Please enjoy this trip.”
Observing her somewhat happy expression, Shelley took the opportunity to ask a fatal question:
“By the way, what is our relationship?”
Nadia froze. She thought for a moment, pursed her alluring lips, and shook her head slowly with some difficulty:
“We can’t… can’t make it public right now.”
“I need time…”
Besides, we don’t know each other yet. I don’t even know your age, personality, or character.
“Mm, we both need time.”
Shelley had originally just wanted to ask what their relationship was exactly—lovers? One-night stand? Or a couple?
“I didn’t expect this answer…”
Naturally, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to explain his question. Shelley took the opportunity to nod and took her hand.
“Then what are your plans for today?”
Letting him hold her small hand, Nadia looked at the sky outside the window and said softly:
“I… I need to handle some matters, and I need time to think about some things.”
“Mm, I also have things to deal with. So… see you tomorrow?”
“Mm.”
Shelley wasn’t in a rush. After all, it wasn’t just Nadia; he was actually quite confused right now too.
No matter how adapted he was to the darkness of the social circle, he was just a barely legal… well, man.
Given such a terrible start, being able to have such a normal conversation was already his limit!
“It was almost a certain-death situation… Never again next time…”
Right! Congreve! That idiot! If not for him! The two of us wouldn’t be so awkward right now!
After breakfast, Shelley was sent out of the estate by the coachman arranged by Nadia.
“How do you usually address that Lord?”
Observing the coachman’s robust shoulders and calloused palms, Shelley asked softly.
The coachman, who looked like a warrior at a glance, spoke in a deep voice: “Madam Meili.”
After that one sentence, there was no more sound, only the rolling of wheels and the occasional snort of the horses.
“Mm, thank you.”
Snuggling into the soft blanket, Shelley closed his eyes and smiled silently in his heart:
“Madam? Saying that now isn’t wrong either.”
“Now it’s time to seek revenge on Congreve! That idiot!!!”
…
Watching the carriage disappear from sight outside the window, the gentle expression under Nadia’s veil gradually turned serious. She spoke coldly:
“What exactly happened? Why did someone enter my room?”
Are you all just decorations!?
Three figures trembled as they knelt at the door, but even though they were terrified to the extreme, they dared not make a sound.
“Are you all mute? Forget it, I’ll do it myself.”
“Wild Charm.”
“Irene, you speak.”
One of the female half-elves shuddered violently, then straightened up with a dull expression and spoke mechanically:
“Last night, it was Lord Katrina who sent us away…”
“She! She… why did she do that?”
Irene’s expression began to struggle, but she finally spoke with great difficulty:
“Lord Katrina… said…”
“It looked like it would be fun…”
As soon as these words came out, the other two uncontrolled figures beside her were crushed to the ground by the aura surging wildly in the room.
Neither dared to resist; they just prayed silently, hoping not to become corpses…
Suppressing the urge to silence everyone in the room permanently, Nadia gripped her wine glass tightly. It took a long while before she spoke:
“All of you, get out…”
“No one is allowed to speak of this matter.”
“Yes!” The three felt as if granted a great pardon. They withdrew respectfully from the room, then fled frantically, disregarding etiquette.
Feeling their presence fade away, Nadia put down the empty glass. Watching it crumble into powder upon touching the table, she exhaled deeply.
“Katrina!!! You idiot!!!”
…
At this moment, a petite figure wearing a hood looked up at the sun and laughed:
“Hehe! Will she kill him now? Or will she kill him later?”
“What a pity, it would have been too late if I hadn’t left then…”
“Anyway, I saw a good show! I’ll hide outside for a bit before going home!”
“Right, right…”
She smiled, opened a demiplane, took out a teardrop-shaped earring, and put it on her delicate ear.
“Gotta wear anti-divination gear!”
“Hehe!”
