"Your Majesty, what is it?"
There was a flicker of anticipation in Kurose Akira's eyes. He couldn't help but wonder what the Elf Queen wanted to discuss with him in private.
"Come with me first~ I'll take you to where you'll be staying tonight."
The Elf Queen stepped forward lightly, her movements graceful as she led Akira toward the room prepared for him.
"Alright."
Akira responded and quickly followed.
The Dark Elf Queen hesitated for a moment before choosing to trail behind them. Her gaze never left the Elf Queen. As the embodiment of the Queen's dark thoughts, she had once been the Elf Queen's nightmare.
But now…
Before long, Akira arrived at the door of a bedroom under the Elf Queen's guidance.
The door opened.
A room of dazzling opulence unfolded before his eyes.
Although elves upheld values of nature and frugality, this bedroom was clearly an exception—its splendor rivaled, perhaps even surpassed, the Elf Queen's own chambers.
"You'll be staying here tonight," the Elf Queen said softly as she stepped inside.
"Alright… we?"
Akira had just begun to respond when he suddenly caught the oddity in her words.
He and the Dark Elf Queen… sharing a room?
The Dark Elf Queen also looked surprised. The elven palace was vast—was it really possible there wasn't a single spare room?
Impossible!
"Because aside from me, the other elves are unaware of her existence," the Elf Queen glanced at the Dark Elf Queen and added, "So there wasn't time to prepare anything. Besides, the bed is large—you'll have plenty of room."
"…Alright."
Akira could only accept it.
Fortunately, the jade bed in the room was more than spacious enough—three people could sleep on it without issue.
"Well then~"
With a gentle wave of her hand, the Elf Queen closed the door.
She stepped closer to Akira, her voice soft and gentle.
"Now, we should discuss something important~"
Just as her words fell, a beam of soft, silvery moonlight poured in, enveloping her figure. It only heightened her already transcendent, sacred beauty, making her appear even more radiant.
Gulp.
Akira couldn't help but swallow.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Well, of course…"
The Elf Queen parted her lips with a faint smile—but behind that smile, a fleeting chill flashed in her deep eyes.
In the next instant, a burst of multicolored magic erupted.
The magic condensed, forming a phantom identical to the Elf Queen herself. With sharp, overwhelming force, it lunged straight at the Dark Elf Queen standing nearby.
"What!?"
The Dark Elf Queen was caught completely off guard. She had never expected the Elf Queen to suddenly attack her!
But now, she no longer possessed the power she once had as the Queen's dark incarnation.
Before she could even react, the phantom struck her, sending her flying into the wall with a heavy crash.
"What are you doing!?" she demanded through clenched teeth.
Her current identity was no longer that of the Elf Queen's dark thoughts—she was now a member of Akira's guild.
For the Elf Queen to attack her like this… it crossed a line.
Akira was about to speak, but the Elf Queen shot him a glance and raised a finger to her lips—shh—silently telling him not to interfere in the grudge between herself and her former darkness.
Then she turned gracefully and walked toward the Dark Elf Queen.
"Do you know what you did wrong?" she asked coldly.
"What wrong have I committed?" the Dark Elf Queen frowned, unable to understand her meaning.
"You don't know?"
The Elf Queen's voice turned colder—and she struck.
Smack!
A crisp sound echoed through the room as a red mark bloomed on the Dark Elf Queen's right cheek.
"You—!"
Her eyes flared with fury, teeth clenched tight.
"Do you know?" the Elf Queen asked again, offering no explanation.
"Tinas! You'd better pray I never get the chance—I'll make you wish you were dead!" the Dark Elf Queen hissed, her fury blazing like fire, as though it might ignite the very mana in the air.
"It seems… you still don't know."
The Elf Queen frowned slightly—and struck again.
Smack!
Another sharp sound rang out. A crimson handprint appeared on the Dark Elf Queen's left cheek.
The flush against her pale, flawless skin only made her beauty more alluring.
"You!!!"
Her rage exploded—but she remained pinned, unable to break free.
All she could do was glare with her dark-golden eyes, pouring every ounce of fury into her gaze.
And yet—
The Elf Queen's lips curved into a satisfied smile.
As though she had finally done something she had wanted to do for thousands of years.
"That felt good~"
She smiled brightly, then turned to Akira.
"Get some rest. Good night."
With that, she left the room.
Akira stood there, stunned.
So the "important matter" she mentioned… was just venting her frustration on the Dark Elf Queen?
But considering she had endured that dark presence for a thousand years… it almost made sense.
The moment the door closed, the restraint pinning the Dark Elf Queen vanished. She dropped from the wall to the floor.
"Tinas!"
Now free, she burned with fury and was ready to chase after her for revenge.
But she quickly calmed down.
After her body had been reconstructed, her strength had been reduced to a fraction of what it once was. Going against a demigod like the Elf Queen now would be nothing but a delusion.
"Damn it… Tinas! I'll have my revenge someday! Just you wait!"
She swallowed her anger.
A queen's revenge could wait ten years.
"It's late. Let's sleep."
Akira, already exhausted, lay down on the bed.
"Why didn't you stop her just now?"
The Dark Elf Queen shot him a cold glare, clearly dissatisfied that he hadn't helped her.
Wasn't she supposed to be his? The Elf Queen was just an outsider!
"That's between the two of you. It's not my place to interfere," Akira shrugged, choosing the safest path.
He had no intention of getting caught in the conflict between two queens.
"Useless!" she snapped, glaring at him resentfully. "I'm clearly your—"
"What was that? I didn't catch it," Akira raised an eyebrow.
"I said!" she retorted impatiently, "I'm the one who belongs to you! Why are you siding with an outsider?"
"…Hmm."
Akira thought for a moment, then asked in return:
"Why do you consider the Elf Queen an outsider?"
"You—"
She froze, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Before she could respond, Akira continued:
"And besides, in a sense, you were given to me by the Elf Queen as a token of gratitude. And the one who should truly control this body… isn't you, but the White Elf Queen."
"You mean—?!"
Her anger surged again.
"I'm just an object you can casually give away?"
"That's your interpretation," Akira shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it.
"You brat!"
Her pride and fury boiled over. She strode forward, raising her hand as dark-golden magic formed chains that lifted Akira into the air.
"You think I fear you? If it weren't for the contract with the Mother Tree, I could tear your body apart at any time!"
"This isn't the dream world anymore! Your life is in my hands!"
"Looks like you still don't understand the situation."
Akira wasn't surprised by her attitude.
Even in the dream, he hadn't fully conquered her.
Why would reality be any different?
Which meant—
Her "training" was far from over.
"If I didn't have a way to control you," he said calmly, "do you really think I'd keep an unstable factor like you by my side?"
The moment he finished speaking, her dark-golden magic collapsed instantly.
Akira dropped back to the ground. Then, stepping forward, he pushed her onto the bed.
"You—!"
"What did you do to me?!"
Her expression filled with disbelief. She couldn't understand what Akira had done—her magic wouldn't respond at all.
Even worse, every inch of her body felt strange, as if under some peculiar influence. A faint blush spread uncontrollably across her skin.
"If you couldn't defeat me in the dream," Akira sneered, lowering himself over her, "what makes you think you can outside of it?"
"You—!? What are you doing?!"
Panic flashed across her face. She tried to struggle, but Akira's weight pressed down like a mountain.
Escape was impossible.
Even resistance felt meaningless.
Her delicate, porcelain-like feet kicked weakly—the last sign of defiance.
"What am I doing?"
Akira grinned, leaning close to her ear.
"Reminding Her Majesty… of her identity. The one she had in the dream."
With that, his hand came down—
—and her silver gown tore apart instantly.
"Bastard! I—"
Her words were cut off as he sealed her lips.
His hands moved relentlessly—
—and radiant holy light erupted forth.
Tonight, he would use the Dark Elf Queen to soothe the restless stirrings of his sacred power.
"No… don't…"
Akira skillfully continued her "education," forcing her to understand her place.
But as he lost himself in it—
he didn't realize that outside the door, the Elf Queen had not left.
She leaned against it, her breathing uneven, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"They…"
Though she had long suspected it, she had never confirmed her guess.
After all, it was difficult to imagine that she—who had preserved her purity for thousands of years—would one day…
under the radiance of holy light…
But—
From within the room, the Dark Elf Queen's voice rose and fell.
"Let go of me! You bastard!"
"Wait! You can't—!"
"Ah—!"
"Get out! Get out!"
"…"
The desperate cries crashed against her ears like waves, making her heartbeat quicken.
Even if the Dark Elf Queen wasn't truly her—
their appearance, voice, magical essence… everything was identical.
Which meant—
Wasn't Akira essentially…?
"…Ah."
The Elf Queen let out a soft sigh, her eyes flickering.
Even knowing what was happening inside, she didn't dare expose it.
After all, from the moment the Dark Elf Queen was reborn, they had become two separate individuals.
Whatever the Dark Elf Queen chose to do… she had no right to interfere.
Even if that meant being beneath Akira at this very moment…
"Calm down… calm down!"
She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady herself.
Watching "herself" being ridden was absurd—but she was the Elf Queen. How could she let it affect her?
Besides—
Everything Akira was doing… was to suppress that dark nature.
She should be grateful.
She should be thankful…
And so, tangled emotions churned within her mind, like an unravellable knot—
mixed with the anguished cries drifting from the room.
Before she knew it, dawn had arrived.
"Phew…"
Akira wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced at the Dark Elf Queen.
She had fallen asleep.
No—more accurately, she had fainted.
Before losing consciousness, her eyes had rolled back, foam at her lips—she had been completely overwhelmed.
As for her performance last night—
Akira had no complaints.
As expected of the most perfect woman on the magical continent.
Though one thing puzzled him.
During the process, she had kept murmuring something.
Something like… "She's watching?"
Akira couldn't make sense of it.
Probably just delirium.
After all, his beloved Pope often muttered incomprehensible things too.
Knock knock.
A sudden knock sounded at the door.
"Who is it?"
Akira hurriedly covered the Dark Elf Queen with the blanket.
If the elves saw their queen in such a state, their pure hearts would probably shatter into pieces.
Even if she was only the Dark Elf Queen.
"It's me! Master!"
Alice's cheerful voice came from outside.
After quickly pulling on a pair of pants, Akira went to the door and opened it.
"What is it?"
"Hehe~ I just wanted to say good morning~" Alice smiled brightly.
"…?"
Akira blinked, then smiled faintly, reaching out to gently pinch her cheek.
"Good morning."
But just as he finished speaking—
a slender hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
A suspicious voice followed:
"Mr. Kurose Akira~ may we come into your room… and take a look?"