Back in the Elven Kingdom, some time later...
I stand in the grand ballroom of the elves' royal palace, Nina at my side with a glass of wine and an eye-pleasing green, slitted dress. A step away, Alto's smiling at me, her sapphire blue eyes matching the barely knee-length dress I still can't believe she's voluntarily wearing.
"Are you disappointed with your lack of popularity?" (Alto)
I blink, Alto's teasing voice shaking me from my thoughts.
"Huh?" (Mizuki)
She glances around us pointedly, a five meter radius that's strangely vacant of other people despite the packed ballroom, then back to me with an amused smirk.
I grin wryly in return.
"Oh, that? You must be mistaken. How could I be unpopular with so many admirers?" (Mizuki)
I gesture at the crowd of people around us, about a third of whom are subtly (blatantly) staring at me at any given second. Well, until I make that comment, then I feel dozens of eyes drift away from me abruptly.
The sight makes me chuckle.
From her place at my side, Nina interjects with a quiet laugh, her voice alarmingly...happy.
"Hehehe...that's just how they should look at my husband – reverence with a hint of fear!" (Nina)
Alto and I both turn to give her disapproving looks, while she simply stares back with a mad, drunken grin. Before I get the chance to chastise her, though, a chaotic, shrill yell tears through the ballroom.
"MIZUKIIIIII!"
I turn just in time to see a half-sized elf slam into me with the enthusiasm of Nina slicing into fresh baked bread.
"Oof!" (Mizuki)
I grunt playfully, smiling down at the brown-haired elven boy grinning back at me mischievously. I open my mouth to speak, but another voice, far more frantic, erupts from within the surrounding crowd first.
"CERA! DON'T YOU DARE!"
I feel Cera, the little elven boy I once saved from getting run over in the street, tense.
"Uh oh..." (Cera)
As if on cue, a familiar elven woman jogs clumsily into the makeshift clearing that's formed around us, her eyes locking on me and Cera with a horrified expression. Cera quickly turns around, waving casually, the picture of innocence.
"Uhm...hi, Mom!" (Cera)
Kara, his mother, just glares back at him with the kind of unspoken threat only a mother can, clearly unmoved by his adorable act. However, seeing the attention we're drawing from the nearby onlookers, she clears her throat nervously instead of speaking, smoothes her fine black dress, and calmly walks towards us with a nervous smile directed at me.
I smile at her warmly in return, nodding.
"Kara, good to see you two. How's the transition been?" (Mizuki)
Some time ago, I managed to convince her to move to Eden and become our very first train operator, and while Alto has been giving me occasional updates on their wellbeing, I haven't spoken to them myself in a while. I'd still like to hear from them that I didn't pressure them into something they've regretted.
Fortunately, Kara's face lights up at my question, her anger at Cera seemingly forgotten.
"Oh, it's wonderful! Cera loves the caretaker you found, and because of the train schedule, I get to have lunch with him even on the days I have to work! Ah, and he's so excited to start attending the school you mentioned!" (Kara)
I glance at Cera, who nods emphatically, then smile at Kara.
"That's good...and what about you, personally? Are you happy there, enjoying your time away from work?" (Mizuki)
She blinks, seemingly caught off guard by the question. However, Cera is quick to answer for her.
"Oh boy, does she! She goes to the hot springs, like, every day! And, and...oh, and we go to the big building with all the games! Mom's a really sore loser when I beat her in air hockey too many times, though! The other day, she even-...mmgfhh!" (Cera)
The remainder of his opinions are cut off as Kara's hand materializes over his mouth, coinciding with a deep blush spreading up her neck. Seeing my surprised look, she laughs nervously.
"Hahaha...he has such an overactive imagination at his age." (Kara)
Cera's eyes flash with indignation at her words, his muffled declarations intensifying underneath her hand. Alto's sonorous chuckle interrupts.
"Fufufu...strange, Kara, I seem to recall a similar experience playing pool with you at the rec center. I was truly impressed with the...diversity, of your language." (Alto)
Hearing the exchange, Nina perks up beside me, interjecting in an amused tone.
"Fufufu...that was you? Creative language, indeed..." (Nina)
While Cera begins nodding vigorously underneath his mother's iron grip, clearly feeling validated, Kara's blush intensifies. She gives Alto a pleading look.
"Lady Alto, please don't tease me like that in front of everyone!" (Kara)
We all laugh at the exchange, taking some time to tease Kara a bit more before catching up with them about the mundane. As we do, the empty space around us slowly shrinks, the once timid crowd of elves seemingly growing more comfortable around me after seeing how I interact with Cera and his mother.
By now, the closest elf is only a meter or two from our group, and over half those in the vicinity are openly listening in, not bothering to conceal their curious gazes.
Then, Cera, whose mouth was finally unshackled, turns to me. He suddenly interjects a question, directed at me with the volume regulation typical of an eight years old boy, his tone sharp and insistent, like he just remembered something important that demands answers.
"Oh yeah, Mizuki! Are you really an alien!?" (Cera)
I blink. Truly, the fact that he's just now getting to that is a testament to the fascinating inner-workings of a child's mind.
I smirk at him, more than a little amused, while he stares me down fearlessly.
"Well, yes, technically. Is that okay?" (Mizuki)
He grabs his chin with his little hand, studying me with a thoughtful expression.
"Mmm...yeah, I guess that's pretty cool. I've got questions, though." (Cera)
I raise my eyebrow at him, intrigued.
"Oh yeah? What do you want to know?" (Mizuki)
His eyes light up, clearly eager to satisfy his curiosity.
"How strong are you?" (Cera)
I shrug, smiling coyly.
"The strongest." (Mizuki)
He pushes out his lip, dissatisfied.
"That's not how you should answer..." (Cera)
I give him a puzzled look.
"How should I answer, then?" (Mizuki)
He crosses his little arms, clearly trying to put on a knowledgeable air.
"You know, tell me how strong. Like, how many dragons are you?" (Cera)
I open my mouth, then close it, stumped by the strange unit of measure. I give him an uncertain look, my voice hesitant.
"Uhm...all of them, I think?" (Mizuki)
His eyes widen hilariously, as if I've actually provided a valid answer. Then, he glances at Nina questioningly, clearly considering her the expert. Seeing his gaze, she blinks through her drunken stupor, then smiles and nods. Not questioning her state of mind or judgement for a moment, he snaps his gaze back to me, eyes full of awe.
"Woahhh!" (Cera)
A number of amused chuckles drift from the nearby crowd, and I glance over just in time to see about half their heads shift away suddenly, staring off into space.
Shaking my head internally, I smile at Cera, nodding smugly to capitalize on his new impression of me. Then, I bend over at eye level, ruffling his hair playfully.
"Yup, I'm pretty cool. So, any other questions for me?" (Mizuki)
Snapping from his daze, he looks at me for a moment thoughtfully, then his eyes widen again. He tilts his head, a confused expression on his face.
"Oh yeah, are you and the Princess in love? Because every time Mom hugged Dad like that, I'd get sent to my room after, and then I'd hear Mom yelling how much she loves hi-...mmngfhh!?" (Cera)
"CERA!?!!" (Kara)
Kara clamps her hand over his mouth frantically, her panicked, mortified cry cutting him off as her face flushes deep red. While Cera turns to look at his mother in confusion, still struggling against being silenced, I can only stare at him, stupefied.
It's at this moment that I finally notice just how deathly quiet the ballroom has suddenly become. Did I mention just how profoundly terrible the volume regulation of an eight year old is? I did, right?
I turn my head slowly, trying to subtly confirm the reason for the silence, only to find over a hundred pairs of eyes staring at me intently. Worse still, the eyes are not attached to expressions of shock or confusion, like people who've just glanced at an unexpected sound or disruption out of passing curiosity or concern. Instead, I see countless expectant gazes, heavy with focused anticipation. Like people who've just heard a question they want an answer to.
So, I'd say that tentatively confirms that most of the elves here were eavesdropping, and heard Cera so eloquently voice a suspicion they all shared but were too polite, or too scared, to ask about themselves.
Knowing that they've noticed me noticing their gazes, I rise from the floor with an awkward smile, chuckling nervously.
"Fufufu...kids, am I right? They say the damnedest things..." (Mizuki)
However, apparently my flustered behavior and distinct lack of denial aren't very convincing, because the crowd immediately exchanges glances internally as murmurs spread. Then, almost in unison, their gazes begin shifting to the other side of the room, where Ilina and her family are sitting on the raised platform of thrones reserved for them. It seems that Cera's question and my answer where audible there, too, because Elira's and Dargo's faces have paled, while Ilina is staring straight at me with a mortified expression, her face red as an apple.
Ilina's complexion is not lost on the crowd either, whose murmuring quickly intensifies, before turning their collective gazes to the final authority they'd expect information from.
Their Queen.
As every head in the room turns to Elira, her lips purse in annoyance, her expression turning thoughtful. While the tense silence builds, everyone clearly hanging on what her next words will be, I can't help but feel a similar, apprehensive kind of anticipation.
Our plans for introducing Ilina's and my relationship has been torpedoed and blown off course so repeatedly that I'm not even sure how Elira will respond to this unspoken inquiry. However, even with all the possibilities that flash through my mind in the brief moments of silence she spends staring back at the crowd, I still fail to consider her actual response.
"Tch..." (Elira)
She clicks her tongue in annoyance, then brings her wine glass to her lips, downing its contents in one gulp. Elira hands the empty glass to a dumbfounded Dargo, stepping onto the seat of her throne like a makeshift stage, and turns to face the shocked crowd. She speaks without hesitation or formality, her voice blunt and irreverent.
"I'd like to formally announce the engagement of my daughter, Crown Princess Ilina Ophelle, to our country's guardian and resident Nephilim, Prince Consort Mizuki. This engagement happens at the ardent insistence of the Princess herself, and with the unanimous blessing of myself and all the nobility. Further details about the engagement will be distributed through the nobles in due time." (Elira)
As soon as she finishes speaking, without a shred of hesitation or elaboration, Elira steps down and sits in her throne with a heavy sigh, already reaching for the bottle of wine nearby.
Then, all hell breaks loose.