/
‘I’m really coming to Lauriue
’
Holly glanced around with thrilled eyes. With the shape of the house varied, there were houses made of woven large banana leaves, and there were also huts made of wood. In addition, there was also a house made of stacked stones like the outer wall of a village.
“I wonder if there is an inn here, too
”
As she glanced at the elves living among the thick roots that grew above the ground, Cahill’s infinitely serious muttering came from above her head.
“Let’s do as much as we can here.”
When she looked up, he lowered his body and whispered coyly in her ear.
“I have brought the token they gave to the King of Eisen.”
At that time, the elf who brought the party to the village voice came.
“So, is it a guest or a sinner?”
Holly’s eyes widened as she turned her head after hearing the unfamiliar voice. The elf was dealing with a young elf who seemed to be her age.
‘
That elf is an elder?’
Before seeing its true form, hearing the word elder, made Holly imagine a bearded old person with a cane.
‘She’s young.’
She gazed at the elf with confused eyes, and their eyes met.
“Are you really human?”
“What?”
Holly turned to Cahill in embarrassment at the elder’s question. If it wasn’t for him, she was an ordinary person by all appearances.
“I’ve never seen a human with such a high affinity, mother.”
The young elf standing next to the elder also muttered as he stared at Holly. It was a strange tone.
‘They both looked the same age
’
She was surprised that they had a mother-son relationship. The young man stepping up looked Holly up and down and gave a nod.
“A person like you would be fine. I will take you as my sixteenth concubine.”
Holly frowned at the elder’s son’s arrogant words.
At the same time, cold air flowed from Cahill. Looking down, she saw that the ground was frozen beneath her feet.
“This is the Prince’s lover! Have some respect.”
When Adam yelled and stood in front of her, Holly looked up at her back, surprised. She didn’t know that he, and not anyone else, would cover for her.
“I want to hear the woman’s will?”
Holly, startled by the gaze that was focused on her, instead of answering, went into Cahill’s arms.
Judging by the young elf’s attitude, it seemed safe that he had the status of a prince. As Cahill also raised his arm and looped it around her to protect her, the face of the young elf suddenly distorted seeing the affectionate lovers.
“Yes. I heard that the Prince of Eisen started his adult journey.”
The elder looked at Cahill with a more subdued look than when she first saw him.
“But I didn’t know that he would be welcomed not as a guest but as a sinner
”
The elder stared at them with narrowed eyes. The trailing words sounded uneasy.
Adam, who acted as the party’s spokesperson, also watched the elder’s mouth with a nervous look. The elder, who was holding her chin with her hand, opened her eyes and pulled a corner of her lips. At first glance, it was a smile with a plan.
“Still, you’re from a friend’s country, so I can’t be rude.”
Despite the elder’s words of generosity, Holly couldn’t just be relieved. The elder’s son looked at his mother and frowned in disapproval.
“I will not punish you.”
“Mother!”
Her son exclaimed in a disgruntled voice at the elder’s decision. Similarly, the elves who had gathered around to watch were also groaning, finding the decision surprising.
The elder raised her hand, and it shut the mouths of the elves, including her son.
“Soon, the darkness will cover the whole mountain, so I’ll arrange a place to sleep in the village.”
The elder’s son pursed his lips and revealed his feelings. He looked like an immature child.
‘What is she thinking?’
Holly studied the elder’s face with suspicious eyes. Because of her twisted mouth, she couldn’t believe it was a good intention.
“It’s alright.”
When Cahill stroked her waist, trying to ease her tension, Holly raised her head. Her eyes met his, and he kissed her lips softly. Holly, who naturally closed her eyes and accepted his kiss, was startled when she felt a gaze on the side of her cheek.
She could see the elder’s son glaring at the two with a distorted face.
‘Let’s shake it off for sure.’
Grabbing Cahill’s face as he was about to pull back and pull him back to her, she rubbed her lips against his. He hugged her straight away without surprise, and Holly winced further as his damp tongue licked her lips.
When she peered over his shoulder and her eyes met Adam, he didn’t argue as usual; perhaps he had sensed her intentions or was trying to save face for the Prince’s lover in front of others.
Cahill’s tongue, not knowing anyway, gently cut between her lips.
“Stop.”
Eventually, she pushed his lips with the palm of her hand. Cahill, who rushed at her excitedly, drooped the corners of his eyes, feeling sorry. Holly squeezed his hand tightly to appease him, who backed off meekly.
“I can’t invite you because there are no free rooms in my house.”
The elder’s eyes were cold. It was clear that she was mindful of Holly’s rejection of her son’s advances.
‘I’ve even expressed deep affection in front of him, so I’m sure his stomach is boiling.’
Even though she felt apologetic for a moment, when she saw the arrogant elder’s face, Holly quickly erased it.
“I’d like to give you the stable, but you might not want to.”
After staring at them for a while, the elder turned her back.
“A stable?! This is the one who will become the future King of Aisen!”
Adam, Cahill’s follower, clenched his fists in protest, but the elder didn’t care.
‘What a pity.’
Holly muttered to herself and snorted.
In any case, if it weren’t for the elves who visited during their meal, they intended to spend the night in the woods.
“You have received great favor simply by not getting punished.”
The elf who brought the party spoke disapprovingly. Nevertheless, he did not express any objection to the elder’s statement that she would not punish them.
“We weren’t supposed to come to Lauriue anyway? Let’s just leave.”
Adam, who had been ordered by King Aisen, hesitated as he alternated between elder and Cahill. However, it seemed that he was following Cahill’s will in the end by fixing the backpack on his back.
“We’re a close friend who even brought the token, so they can’t do that.”
At that time, the elder, who had been looking at the distant mountains as if ignoring Holly and the others, spoke again. She refused to give them a room to stay in despite saying they were a friend. This was terribly mean.
‘If this is a friend, then I’d rather have no friends.’
Holly glanced at the elder and pouted. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t say anything in case it would harm Cahill’s kingdom.
“Ah, right.”
The elder clapped her hands, just realizing it.
“There must be a place in the village where there are spare rooms
”
She ended her words and cast her gaze toward where the village elves stood. When Holly followed the elder’s eyes and turned her head, her eyes widened as she saw the elf reaching the edge of the elder’s gaze.
“Lyla.”
The elder gestured toward the elf with dark brown eyes. The elves opened the way, stepping back from where they were standing.
The elf, hesitant at the elder’s call, looked around and slowly walked forward.
‘Lyla
!’
The familiar elf was Lyla, who had been her guest at Halidem. She once rescued her from being threatened by her debtors.
She looked at Holly with a mixture of surprise and delight, perhaps recognizing Holly.
“Do you know each other?”
As Holly and Lyla looked at each other, the elder asked with interest. However, Lyla, who was about to open her mouth when she saw her, shut her mouth before shaking her head.
“No. I was just surprised because this is the first time I’ve ever seen a human with such a high affinity.”
Holly’s senses made her realize that she shouldn’t reveal that she knew Lyla right now. Meanwhile, Cahill also didn’t ask directly, looking at Holly with narrow eyes.
“There are a lot of empty rooms in your house. What about it? Could you give a room for our friend?”
Laila glanced at Holly and hesitated.