Chapter: 327
In the center of the elf residential district stands a gigantic tree next to a solitary three-story building. While other buildings are crammed together, this one serves as the residence of the Elder and a meeting space for elves. Due to its significance, even among elves, one cannot casually approach this important structure.
It’s the first time that human tourists have visited such a precious building, but no one displayed any signs of excitement or curiosity.
‘It better go well.’
I sat on a sofa, glumly staring at the stairs. While the others dazedly loitered on the first floor, Marcilio ascended to the third floor with the Elder.
After meeting the Elder on the street, she learned that he was her granddaughter and led us into her home. Though she hadn’t yet mentioned her daughter, you couldn’t expect much from someone over 600 years old. The darkened expression on Clarice’s face seemed to suggest she had an inkling about the news of her daughter.
Of course, the desperation of a mother hoping the worst was not true was evident on her face.
“Will it be okay?”
Louise, nervously fiddling with her already empty teacup, broke the silence. Her trembling eyes and tense face revealed just how mentally strained she was.
“It’s going to be fine. Don’t worry too much.”
I understood Louise’s feelings, so I tried to respond casually. For her, Marcilio wasn’t just a potential fiancé; he was also a cherished teacher who introduced her to magic. He was a benefactor who showed the path of magic to a young girl mourning her lost sister.
But now, her benefactor and precious mentor had to break the news of her mother’s death to a grandmother who might resent her.
“That’s right. It’s none other than Marcilio. He’ll surely make it okay.”
Irina, sitting beside Louise, held her hand to comfort her. As a Duke who had reached the pinnacle of magic, he’d overcome any obstacle.
Marghetta nodded in agreement, supporting Irina’s words, and finally, Louise showed a somewhat relieved expression. Or maybe she was just pretending to be okay under the pressure of others’ comfort.
‘Let’s hope nothing happens.’
I felt uneasy too. Marcilio was invincible in human society, but right now, he was just Beatrix, the granddaughter.
So all I could do was pray that everything would turn out well.
*
In the innermost room on the third floor, it seemed we would have an audience with the Elder in what resembled her office.
Now recognized as guests, we had to speak soon. I needed to convey the news about my mother and find out what the Elder thought of me. But despite the urgency, I couldn’t bring myself to speak.
After seeing the Elder’s expression on the way here, I couldn’t. She looked frozen in despair yet held a glimmer of desperate hope, her reason whispering of dreadful disasters while her heart struggled to reconcile.
‘Mother…’
I fidgeted with the teacup I hadn’t even taken a sip from, thinking of my mother. Right now, I felt a bit resentful toward her.
Why hadn’t she told me about her family? Why did she fight with the Elder and sever ties? Was there truly no better way to handle things?
“Are you my granddaughter?”
The Elder finally broke the silence.
“Yes, I’m Beatrix.”
I respectfully bowed my head in response, but silence quickly enveloped the room again. Naturally. She had confirmed I was her granddaughter, so she should be asking about her absent daughter. But the answer to that question would be painfully obvious.
How could I even dare to speak? What if my inquiry turned her daughter’s presumed death into a harsh reality?
“Ariadne, where is she?”
Yet the Elder voiced that dreadful question. Whether it was a mother’s duty to accept her daughter’s death or a glimmer of hope that perhaps there was a valid reason why she couldn’t come, either way, it was a question requiring considerable courage.
Regrettably, I had to repay that courage with despair.
“She returned to Enen’s embrace… 101 years ago.”
As soon as I said those words, I clenched my eyes shut. I couldn’t bear to see the Elder’s expression upon hearing my response, nor did I have the courage to face her accusation.
The silence that followed was once again shattered by the Elder.
“I see.”
A stark, dull reply, or perhaps a feigned calmness—neither her tone nor the emotions interwoven within it could truly be described as indifferent.
“You ran away from my embrace, and now you have permanently left.”
Her following words couldn’t even attempt to mask the hurt. The more she spoke, the longer her sentences became, pouring forth the emotions within her like an unstoppable flood.
“Driving a nail into my heart, and instead of pulling it out, driving in more…”
It felt heavy. Each of the Elder’s words pressed down on my shoulders. Unable to hold my head up like her, I bowed it even lower.
It was, of course, a considerable tragedy that my mother had passed away. I too was a victim of having lost my mother, and my role in that misfortune was nonexistent. The Elder and I were just comrades who had lost a shared family member, not a perpetrator and a victim.
But for some reason, I struggled with the sensation that I had somehow become a sinner. To bear the grievous duty of conveying her daughter’s death to a mother who hadn’t seen her for 150 years, and who last spoke to her in a fight—it felt like a colossal crime.
“…I hate humans.”
And with those words, I froze.
How could the Elder not harbor resentment toward humans given her past? My mother had gone into the human world against the Elder’s wishes, and I was now blood of that same human race.
“My husband suffered at the hands of Apels. Not just him; most of the elves departed during that time.”
I bit my lip quietly. I was well aware of the countless atrocities inflicted upon mixed races during the Apels Empire. I had heard that the Elder had also suffered long before coming here. I just hadn’t anticipated that her suffering included losing her husband.
“The World Tree gifted to us by our God burned, our dear spirits never showed their faces again, and the fairies collapsed in tears.”
I knew of this too. The World Tree, beloved by all elves, and their cherished spirits and fairies—all were destroyed by the Apels Empire.
“Of course, I know the current Empire differs from Apels… but a moment’s fortune doesn’t erase past misfortunes.”
“…Yes, that’s true.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
The Elder’s voice, laced with a weak smile, bore no hint of genuine humor or tranquility.
Even if the Kefellofen had been a blessing, the suffering endured at the hands of Apels for far too long couldn’t be forgotten. Thus, she vowed not to resent Kefellofen but absolutely refused to engage with humans again.
“That’s why I prevented Ariadne from leaving this sanctuary. Not every human is a demon, but there’s no guarantee that only kind humans would be seen. I didn’t want Ariadne to harbor the same hatred I did.”
That will to protect translated into concern for her child. After losing her husband to humans, she didn’t want her daughter to be hurt by humans, nor did she want her to develop a hatred and fear of her own kind. Those concerns must have been enough for the Elder to stop her daughter from leaving.
Yet she had failed. Their final parting words were those that expressed her willingness to treat her daughter as a stranger if she disobeyed.
“In the end, it turned out like this…”
Her maternal instinct to prevent her child from being hurt didn’t bear any fruit.
Now in this awful situation, what was I supposed to do? Should I console the Elder as her granddaughter? Or should I bow my head as a sinner tainted with human blood?
I had no idea. After thinking about it endlessly, I couldn’t reach a conclusion. If only the Elder would blame me, I might find some peace of mind—
“Child.”
My foolish thoughts crumbled as the Elder spoke. When I considered that I might receive her scorn, the feeling of comfort quickly morphed into fear.
“Can you tell me how Ariadne lived? Just what you remember will be sufficient.”
Her gentle smile and the voice that sounded as if she was about to cry. In the face of such poignant contradiction, I quietly nodded my head.
Her request was an entirely natural right for a mother.
I recounted everything I could remember. I spoke of what clothes my mother liked, the foods she enjoyed, the weather that made her happy, and her hobbies.
How she was kind to the family servants, loved her husband, was affectionate to her daughter, and respected her mother-in-law.
Although we belonged to different races, none of it served as a barrier. She was a beloved figure within the Duke’s family and the Duchy.
“…I see.”
With each recollection, the Elder’s gentle smile flared, her head nodding as if she were making an effort not to disturb my reminiscence of my mother.
“I’m relieved to hear that this foolish mother hasn’t been forgotten. I’m glad…”
But her conclusion left me in shock. That was not the conclusion one should reach. The Elder should acknowledge the fond memories of her daughter, not a life that flourished without her.
She absolutely must not consider herself an erased mother from her daughter’s memories.
Otherwise, my mother’s final moments with the Elder would be reduced to a bitter quarrel.
“No.”
Therefore, I dared to voice my thoughts.
“Your daughter couldn’t have forgotten you.”
The Elder once threatened that I would be treated as a stranger once I left the sanctuary. My mother hadn’t cut ties with her just because she felt the threat was real.
“If she hated something, she would have shown it clearly. When she harbored discontent, she would clasp me in her arms and vent her frustrations.”
To be honest, those weren’t exactly great memories. I could never fully understand the grievances she ranted about—politics and society were beyond my little mind. But when she spoke of those burdens, it had often been a struggle for her.
“I believe if she harbored resentment toward you, she would have poured all her grievances onto me. I think her silence was due to her guilt and longing towards you.”
Upon hearing that, the Elder briefly widened her eyes before resuming her smile.
“That’s an absurd thought.”
“Excuse me?”
“If I had been forgotten, there wouldn’t be a thought of dislike. Naturally, she wouldn’t have said a word.”
…
Could it be…?
“Come here.”
As my head sank with embarrassment and shame for failing to persuade her, the Elder gestured to me.
“You said your name is Beatrix?”
“Yes, yes…”
The Elder’s smile deepened.
“It’s already been about 300 years. Back when Ariadne was just a little girl, I used to read her fairy tales while she sat on my lap.”
With that, the Elder came closer and gently placed a hand on my shoulder, pulling me onto her lap.
“It was a fairy tale written around the time Kefellofen ousted Apels. It detailed a friendship between elves and humans. While I never much cared for it… Ariadne loved it, so I had to read it to her.”
She chuckled softly, recalling those days, but I couldn’t manage to smile back.
This was mortifying. At my age, sitting on someone else’s lap was embarrassing enough, but it was even worse on my grandmother’s lap.
“I could never understand why she liked it. The hastily written content was a mess, scarcely enjoyable, and the logic left much to be desired. It’s a long-forgotten tale now.”
The moment the Elder began to stroke my head, I found myself unable to move.
“But it became an eternal story in Ariadne’s heart.”
As her hand ceased stroking, I felt her delicate arms wrap around me.
“…Unlike me, who like in the story, learned love from humans…”
Her arms trembled. No, not just her arms—her whole body quaked as she held me.
Gingerly, I extended my arms to embrace the Elder. Right now, an act like this spoke louder than any word could express.
“Just like in that tale… she left behind treasures…”
And with that, the Elder clamped her mouth shut.
Yet strangely, this silence didn’t feel awkward.
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