The nobles' eyes followed the sound coming from outside the palace gates, turning nervously and curiously toward its source.
The moment they saw the two women at the entrance, many nobles felt their minds buzz and go completely blank.
If they weren't mistaken, that beautiful woman was Viktor's younger sister, Liya Clavenna.
And beside her, that elegant and noble elf was undoubtedly Cocotte Yard.
The scene felt strangely familiar to the nobles, as if they had seen it before.
They remembered that Liya had previously visited the palace with that same elf.
Even the shape of the cloud beneath the elf was exactly the same as before.
And now, they had appeared here once again.
As for Liya, the nobles present were already quite familiar with her.
Previously, Liya had merely been a merchant of the Clavenna family, someone with no connection whatsoever to ministers like them who were involved in imperial politics.
Back then, they couldn't even be bothered to spare her a second glance.
But things were completely different now. Many of the nobles present were trying to get close to Liya and build a relationship with her.
The reason was simple. The influence of the Clavenna family had now reached an astonishing level.
Viktor's power and his almost frightening influence were things every noble present understood without needing to say it aloud.
He was not someone they could afford to provoke.
And Liya was Viktor's sister.
Although the nobles all knew that Viktor was the official head of the Clavenna family, in reality, every large and small matter of the family was personally handled by Liya.
Viktor was simply a hands-off manager who paid no attention to the territory's affairs.
Under such circumstances, Liya's status naturally became even more important.
At least among the nobles present, not a single one could afford to offend her.
But why had Liya suddenly come to the palace today?
And she had brought that elf with her again.
The ministers were already very familiar with this elf as well.
A former member of the Mage Council.
It was said that she was also the Queen of the Elves.
Elves were already a mysterious race to humans, and as the Elven Queen, Cocotte's status was undoubtedly even more exalted.
At that moment, the nobles recalled the Emperor's earlier words, "Don't stand at the entrance. It wouldn't look good if outsiders saw."
Thinking back to those words, the nobles all felt their heads grow larger as suspicion crept into their minds.
Could His Majesty have been referring to the Elven Queen's visit?
Well, if that was the case, then there really wasn't any problem. They did indeed need to make way.
Hearing Cocotte's greeting, Aubrey smiled and nodded lightly.
"Long time no see."
"But we only met not long ago."
Sitting cross-legged atop her cloud, Cocotte scratched her head after hearing his words.
"Ah, is that so?"
"Sorry, I've been sleeping a little too much lately."
Aubrey had intended to continue sitting upright, but after hearing that, his shoulders relaxed and a tolerant smile appeared on his face.
"Looks like you've been feeling pretty good lately."
In his memory, Cocotte always liked curling up on her marshmallow-like cloud and enjoying long stretches of sleep.
He still remembered her last visit. She had entered the palace practically half asleep.
Only after rubbing her eyes had she noticed him, the Emperor.
At that time, Cocotte had been lazy and drowsy, looking as though she could fall asleep again at any moment.
But now, she seemed like a completely different person, full of energy to the point of being almost overly lively.
At least compared to before, she was clearly different.
Hearing that, a mischievous smile appeared on Cocotte's face.
"Hehe, I think so too."
Then she looked Aubrey over, concern appearing in her eyes.
"Hmm... but your condition..."
As a Nature Elf, Cocotte possessed the ability to perceive the essence of life.
She could sense that although Aubrey looked healthy and radiant on the outside, the flame of life within him was weak and fragile.
Like a candle about to burn out, it could go out at any moment.
Aubrey's condition was getting worse.
Much worse than the last time they met.
But she didn't say it out loud.
Because for humans, whose lives were short, lifespan was an extremely sensitive topic.
Many humans even treated it as something taboo.
Closing her eyes, she rested her chin on one hand and quietly sank into thought.
As the Elven Queen and Emperor Aubrey chatted pleasantly, the nobles gradually fell silent one after another.
Not a single person dared interrupt a conversation between these two rulers.
But today's court meeting was supposed to be about persuading Emperor Aubrey.
How had it turned into a gathering between old friends?
At this moment, Marquis Cizna lowered his head as nervous sweat appeared on his forehead.
He finally understood why Leopold had stopped him earlier.
It turned out that an honored guest was about to arrive.
And that guest was a noble elf.
Elves represented nature.
Whether noble or commoner, every human had been taught since childhood to always maintain reverence toward nature.
Therefore, discussions regarding the succession to the throne would clearly have to wait until after the Elven Queen departed.
Leopold had obviously realized this already, which was why he hadn't mentioned the matter today.
At this moment, Cocotte opened her eyes again and said softly, "In the Forest of Elves, there's a very magical kind of dew."
"For humans, it can even help improve the body and extend lifespan."
The nobles were all dumbfounded when they heard this.
Even Aubrey showed great interest, curiosity appearing in his expression.
"Oh? Is this some kind of treasure of the elves?"
"You could say that."
Sitting on her cloud, Cocotte remembered Liya's earlier instructions.
Although she didn't know why Liya had told her to say this, she spread her hands and pretended to be helpless.
"But it's quite precious. We only produce about two drops a year."
In reality, the elves collected more than two drops every day.
But the moment she finished speaking, countless eyes turned toward her like hungry wolves.
Even though Cocotte wasn't looking directly at them, those greedy gazes still made her feel uncomfortable and displeased.
She didn't like it at all.
Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Cocotte scratched her head.
Still, this should be the situation Liya had talked about earlier.
She gave a light cough and glanced toward Liya as she spoke in a reminding tone,
"Liya."
Hearing Cocotte's words, Liya immediately raised the crystal-clear communication crystal in her hand and held it to her mouth.
"You can come in now."
What did that mean?
The nobles looked at one another in confusion.
Suddenly, dense natural magic flooded the entire palace like an ocean.
Colorful flowers and plants began growing directly from the palace floor. Fresh green grass sprouted neatly, spreading throughout the palace.
A natural and refreshing atmosphere replaced the stuffy air inside.
Warm currents flowed through the hall, driving away the cold of late autumn and winter.
Among the grass and flowers, enormous flower buds slowly began to bloom.
After that, Vinia emerged from among the flowers, holding a wooden staff.
With every step she took, another elf bloomed from one of the surrounding flower buds and stood up from within.
In the end, elf after elf appeared before everyone.
In their hands, they held leaves containing several distinct drops of dew that shimmered with the light of morning.
The warmth filling the room caused the nobles to briefly fall into thought as warm air filled their lungs.
Their lungs, accustomed to the dry and lifeless air of winter, seemed to awaken under the warmth.
Yet in their stunned state, they ignored the fragrant air completely and focused entirely on the guests who had appeared inside the palace.
'This... this many elves!?'
Never in their lives had they seen so many elves.
'Could this be a dream...?'
At that moment, Liya stepped forward.
The flowers and plants surrounded her, and her gaze swept across everyone present through the sea of blossoms.
Finally, her eyes lingered on Leopold for a moment.
Then Liya gracefully raised her head and looked toward Emperor Aubrey on the throne.
"Your Majesty."
"Please allow me to explain."
Standing before the elves and surrounded by endless flower gardens, she gave Aubrey a slight bow.
"The Forest of Elves, in the name of nature..."
"...wishes to forge eternal friendship with the Empire."