Volume 2 – Chapter 24: “You’ve Said This Before Too, Haven’t You?”

“You conniving pointy-eared wench, I’ve had enough of you!” Bilodis had pushed her too far, and Teresa had finally snapped.

Even a cornered rabbit would bite—let alone an elf??

Just as she imagined herself leaping up and smashing the audio rune stone in Bilodis’ hand into pieces with a dramatic flair—well, that was all just Teresa’s imagination. In reality, the moment she so much as twitched, Bilodis pinned her legs down with both feet, leaving Teresa flailing uselessly in her arms, baring her teeth like a feisty kitten. She looked fierce, sure, but posed zero actual threat.

“Destroy that thing! It shouldn’t even exist in this world!”

“Don’t be hasty, little Sha. Did you know? Some things—even if you erase the traces and wipe the memories—still happened.” Bilodis calmly raised the rune stone above Teresa’s reach, holding it just out of range like she was teasing a cat with a feather toy.

“You think all of this isn’t your fault?!” Failing to snatch the rune stone, Teresa shifted tactics and launched a direct assault on the wielder instead.

She clawed at Bilodis’ back, attempting a petty, childish strategy to get her way.

To Bilodis, though, it was nothing more than a spoiled tantrum—like a kitten with newly trimmed claws tugging at your pants. It didn’t hurt. It wasn’t even annoying. If anything, it was... amusing.

“Pfft—come on now. I’m not going to show it to anyone else. Why the fuss?” In other words, one more piece of blackmail material wouldn’t make a difference to her already massive collection.

“This thing shouldn’t be allowed to exist!” Teresa refused to give up. She was determined to salvage what little dignity she had left.

“Stop squirming, little Sha. You really don’t look like a proper Elf Princess when you're acting all wild like this.”

“Stop struggling now. Besides, I already set the rune to auto-record. That means every word you’re saying right now is being added to your growing pile of black history.”

“This is blatant bullying!” Teresa had no choice but to slowly lower her hand, though her defiance still burned in her eyes.

“I would never bully you, little Sha. Anything you want, I’ll give you~” said Bilodis sweetly.

“Then give me that damn stone!”

“Oh my, little Sha, is that any way to speak to your big sister? Tsk, tsk. If you don’t show the proper respect, I’m not giving you anything~” Bilodis grinned, clearly enjoying herself.

“Grghhh...” Teresa puffed up her cheeks. Speaking politely to Bilodis was almost physically painful.

This wretched pointy-eared villain—fair-skinned, beautiful, but rotten to the core.

“P-please... give me the rune stone,” she said, struggling to keep her tone even.

“Ask who to give it to~?”

“You.”

“And who am I?”

“You... old—... Bilodis.”

“Oh my, little Sha, don’t you think calling your sister by her name is a bit inappropriate?”

“...........”

Teresa fell silent, her head drooping.

“So you don’t want the rune stone after all?”

“No, I...” she bit her lip, voice trembling. “Sister... Please give me the rune stone.”

“Mm~ I understand.” Pleased to finally hear Teresa call her "sister," Bilodis handed the rune stone over without playing any further tricks.

Teresa was dying to smash this cursed relic of humiliation on the spot, but she wasn’t in good shape yet. Reluctantly, she stuffed the rune stone down the front of her dress for safekeeping.

She could destroy it later.

“Why were you sleeping beside me?” she asked.

“That’s a weird question, little Sha. This is my room. If I don’t sleep here, where else would I sleep?”

Teresa glanced around. The spacious room had a few paintings and artworks, along with some furniture, a screen, and of course, that large bed.

Sunlight poured in from the windows, flooding the balcony and spilling into the room.

“...I’m getting up,” Teresa said, rising from Bilodis’ arms.

Bilodis made no move to stop her.

The nightgown she was wearing now clearly hadn’t been put on by her last night. Someone else had changed her while she slept.

She didn’t even need to ask who.

That said... this Elven-style nightgown really was something.

Made of semi-transparent white gauze, it barely covered her hips, with her chest practically exposed. This wasn’t a nightgown—it was lingerie.

She was supposed to be a sacred, pure elf—and this was what her people wore? It rivaled the outfits of succubi. What on earth were the Elf designers thinking?

Maybe to elves, the concept of “modesty” didn’t exist. Clothes were just for decorum and aesthetics, nothing more. Especially since they were worn only around fellow elves—and the notoriously frigid elven men didn’t seem to care what the women wore. That gave designers complete creative freedom to go wild.

That probably explained why elven fashion was so... breezy. They likely saw it as a way to feel closer to nature.

She changed out of the nightgown and into the belly-baring outfit and open-toe heels she’d picked yesterday. Making her way downstairs, Teresa looked around the enormous palace and felt a strange sense of aimlessness.

Bilodis clearly wasn’t letting her leave anytime soon... so what was she supposed to do now?

Stretching her arms and rolling her ankles, Teresa noticed something odd. Her body felt far better than yesterday—lighter, freer—like a martial arts hero who just had their meridians unlocked.

Right... wasn’t it time to eat?

If they were keeping her locked up here, surely they’d feed her, right? Otherwise, this was just straight-up abuse!

“Good morning, Princess Teresa. Did you sleep well~?” came a familiar voice from the hall. Teresa looked up and saw Bilodis’ personal maid.

“What are you doing here?” Teresa eyed the broom in the maid’s hands warily.

The memory of being slung over this woman’s shoulder and carried into the palace yesterday was still fresh—and traumatic.

“Your Highness, I’m here for routine cleaning,” said Lillin, bowing gracefully in her airy maid outfit, slender fingers wrapped around the broom handle.

“You clean this whole palace by yourself?” Teresa muttered. That busty cow really knew how to exploit her employees.

“Part of it is Her Majesty Bilodis’ responsibility. I take care of the rest.”

“It’s not as much work as you might think. We can use our authority to clean magically. Doing it by hand is just a way to pass the time.”

“The sun’s already high.” Teresa glanced toward the blazing light outside. “Shouldn’t the elf lady be preparing breakfast?”

“Breakfast?” Lillin tilted her head, holding her broom. “What’s that?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve survived all these years in the secret realm without eating anything.” Teresa was stunned by Lillin’s confusion. Did she not even know what breakfast was?

“Oh... does Your Highness mean something like the humans’ ‘three meals a day’?”

“What else would I mean? Do you elves have chlorophyll or something? Surviving photosynthesis?”

“Of course not. But hunger? We don’t feel it,” said Lillin, shaking her head.

“You mean none of you eat at all??” Teresa frowned. Elves at the academy still ate food, even if they acted all high and mystical. “Don’t elves need nutrition too?”

“Certainly. As the spirits of all things, elves need nourishment—but we don’t rely on eating like humans do. In fact, elves over three hundred years old, or with strong enough powers, can survive just by absorbing natural energies.”

“Younger or weaker elves can absorb those energies too, just not as efficiently. So they still supplement with food.”

You are plants.

Teresa blinked. Now that she thought about it, even she rarely felt hunger in her elven form. Most of her eating habits were human in origin—just following the routine of three meals a day.

“I apologize, Your Highness. I forgot you’ve lost your memories. If you truly wish to ‘eat,’ please wait a moment.”

“Hm?” Teresa didn’t understand what she meant, but before long, Lillin returned carrying a wooden tray. On it sat a jade cup of translucent green.

“Your ‘breakfast’ is here, Your Highness. Please enjoy.”

“What is this?” Teresa took the cup, frowning slightly. The liquid inside shimmered faintly as her fingers moved.

“Well, in terms you’d understand now, this is Her Majesty’s favorite ‘food,’ the exclusive ‘Sweetfat Sacred Dew’ for the Gold Elf royal family.”

“Sweetfat Sacred Dew?” Teresa tilted the cup, watching the ripples. Aside from the fancy cup, she saw nothing special.

She sniffed it—an elegant, floral aroma drifted up.

Smelled... not bad?

She took a sip—and immediately winced.

“So bitter...” Bitter, slightly astringent, with a raw, earthy taste—like unfiltered spring water.

“Where did this ‘dish’ come from?”

“Oh, from the spring in the courtyard,” Lillin replied casually.

“So it’s just... plain spring water? No processing?”

“Processing? No. And it shouldn’t be processed. That spring’s source is the Golden Sacred Tree. Though it’s been drying up lately, this is the sap of the Mother Goddess’ tree. It brims with vitality. One sip can extend your life by years.”

“But it’s awful. And what’s a few years of life to a Gold Elf?”

“You’ve all been living here so long without food, and when you do eat, it’s this stuff?”

“Of course. Why is that strange?” Lillin looked puzzled.

Teresa held her forehead.

What kind of fairy-tale lifestyle was this? These elves were practically fasting immortals.

“What’s the point of being alive like this?” Teresa muttered absentmindedly.

“.........”

Lillin went quiet, staring at Teresa with a strange expression.

“What?” Teresa asked.

“Your Highness... did you remember something from before?”

“Something from before?”

“...Nothing.” Seeing Teresa’s blank confusion, Lillin smiled knowingly and shook her head.

“You said the exact same thing once before, Your Highness. That’s why I wondered.”

“Exactly the same?” Teresa arched a brow.

The previous Teresa had said that too? Coincidence?

Speaking of which—why hadn’t that wretched Bilodis come down yet?

“Your Highness, you haven’t finished your sacred dew yet.”

“I don’t think I can finish it. How about... you take care of it?”

“No can do. Since you’ve taken the first sip, the rest must be finished by you. That’s the rule in the Palace of the Goldenwood.” Lillin smiled as she handed the cup back, leaving no room for negotiation.

Left with no choice, Teresa gulped it down, wincing.

It was awful. She couldn’t imagine how Bilodis or Lillin could drink this every day for centuries.

Just then, Bilodis came downstairs—dressed the same as yesterday.

So back when they were in bed, Bilodis had also been wearing... sleepwear. Teresa hadn’t gotten a good look, but just a glance upward had revealed that...

Indecent thing.

“Lillin, would you please tidy up my room~?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Lillin bowed and walked upstairs with her broom.

She’s really been living like this for centuries?

Always wearing that cold expression?

Isn’t she tired?

“Want to walk with me in the garden, little Sha?” Crown and olive-leaf mantle in place, the breathtakingly beautiful golden-haired Elf Empress held out her hand invitingly.

Teresa was about to retort—but remembered last night’s “insomnia treatment” and swallowed her words.

To be fair, the method had been questionable, but the result? Effective. She hadn’t slept that well in a long time.

They walked through the garden, but Teresa’s mind was elsewhere—at Coleman Academy.

A full day had passed. Dylin and Teresa had vanished together. What would her teammates think?

“The time flow near the Golden Tree is different from that of Kaleburn. No need to worry, little Sha~” Bilodis said with a smile, as though she could read Teresa’s mind.

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