“Sister Avira,” Sephirena called out. “I’m back.”

“Mm.” Avira seemed calm, but Sephirena noticed that the fingertips of the hand she had placed on her thigh were trembling slightly, indicating that her heart was not as calm as it appeared.

Avira looked at the Sephirena before her, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity, unsure of how to take the initiative to speak.

She didn’t know how to face Sephirena, with what kind of expression, with what kind of words.

“And Sister Tarashil, I’ve come back to see you too. It’s really been a long time since I’ve been back,” Sephirena said.

“...” Avira didn’t know how to begin.

“Weren’t you the one who told me to wait for you here, Sister Avira? What’s wrong? You have nothing to say now that we’ve met?” Sephirena asked.

“Have you... been well lately?” After thinking for a long time, this was all Avira could say.

This made Sephirena laugh out loud. “Sister Avira, why do you seem even more stiff than I am? I’m still the same as before. No, that’s not right. Compared to before, there are probably some differences. I’ve changed a little. But, Sister Avira, you can just treat me the same as before,” Sephirena said with a smile.

“During this time, I’ve thought a lot, and I’ve considered a lot. Of course, I also received help from a very strange human. It is precisely because of her that I was able to overcome some things and return to the Elf Forest.”

“That strange human is?”

Sephirena shook her head. “I’m sorry, Sister Avira. I made a promise to her that I would keep it a secret.”

“I see.” Avira nodded, though she already had a likely candidate in mind.

“Sister Avira, do you still think Sister Tarashil’s death was an accident?” Sephirena looked at the tombstone before her, a trace of sorrow in her eyes.

Avira shook her head, placing a hand on Sephirena’s shoulder. “For an elf like Tarashil, how could there ever be such a thing as an accidental death?”

Avira had always been suspicious. She had investigated, but she had never been able to find the real reason, and in the end, it could only be concluded hastily.

“I’m very sorry. I didn’t understand you well before, and I didn’t know how to comfort you.”

Sephirena shook her head. “It’s all in the past. Besides, you can’t be blamed for this, Sister Avira. It was I who was not mature enough at the time, my thoughts too naive, that led to these things happening. It was my own problem. And I have returned now. You don’t need to blame yourself too much, Sister Avira.”

“...” Avira was now certain. What happened with Sephirena was absolutely related to Liana or Princess Mephilia.

Because these were words Avira had only ever said to Mephilia.

“Does Sister Tarashil often have people come to see her?”

Avira followed Sephirena’s gaze and saw that she was looking at the flower in front of the tombstone.

“Yes. After all, Tarashil was a very gentle person. There are certainly many people who were cared for by her who came to see her,” Avira said.

“And yet I haven’t come back to see Sister Tarashil for so long,” Sephirena said.

What? How am I supposed to respond to that, Sephirena?

“And my actions are things Sister Tarashil would have absolutely never wanted to see. I actually know this very well in my heart, but I did them anyway. I’m really good at causing trouble for others,” Sephirena continued.

“It’s true that those are things Tarashil wouldn’t want to see, but she would absolutely not blame you. On the contrary, she would certainly be very happy. This is proof of your efforts for her sake, is it not?” Avira felt that if she didn’t say something at this point, things would probably revert to how they were before.

“I know.” Sephirena smiled faintly. Because Sister Tarashil praised me. “But what I didn’t know was that Sister Avira wouldn’t just watch quietly like before. I never thought you would actually comfort me.”

“...” Avira looked at Sephirena anew. “You really have changed a lot.”

“Have I?”

“Your clothes, your words, your actions... they have all become very much like Tarashil’s.” Although Avira knew she would likely be disliked for saying this, these words had to be said. She didn’t want...

“Don’t worry, Sister Avira. I am Sephirena. I have always been Sephirena. I love Sister Tarashil very much, and my initial goal was to become an elf like her, but my personality dictates that I cannot become an elf like Sister Tarashil,” Sephirena interrupted Avira.

Upon hearing Sephirena’s words, Avira smiled happily. It turned out that she was only now seeing Sephirena’s true change.

Sephirena walked away, picked a flower, and placed it before Tarashil’s tombstone.

“An elf came to see Sister Tarashil today, too.”

“This one was my offering to Tarashil,” Avira said.

“So it was you, Sister Avira.”

“Mm. I come here every day to offer Tarashil a flower. I also come by regularly to tend to the surroundings.” Avira wasn’t trying to show off.

She had just learned that some things were better said out loud, so that both parties could have a more comprehensive understanding.

“Sister Avira’s love is truly special.” If Avira hadn’t said it, Sephirena might never have known for her entire life.

There were some things Sephirena had only learned through other channels. Now that Avira could say it directly, Sephirena was very happy.

“Love? I feel it’s more like regret and guilt.” Avira shook her head. She felt she was a hypocrite. Why didn’t she do this before? Only after Tarashil died did she come here to put on a show.

“If you didn’t care about us, Sister Avira, you wouldn’t have noticed so many details, and you wouldn’t have discovered that I had changed,” Sephirena said.

Avira looked at Tarashil’s tombstone with a gratified expression, as if she were telling Tarashil that Sephirena had truly grown up.

However, this expression on Avira’s face only lasted for a moment.

Because Sephirena told her about the demon race.

And that was what happened after Sephirena returned, but she had concealed some things, not telling the full story of what happened between them.

Her Highness Liana only needed to know that she and Sister Avira had reconciled.

“How come after listening for so long, it seems to be all about you and Avira? What about your other sister?” Liana asked.

“Sister Nimeris?” Sephirena thought for a moment. “She was also very concerned about my situation and was very worried about what I said about the demons.”

In Sephirena’s eyes, there was nothing strange about Nimeris.

“Is that so?” Liana thought for a moment. Although doing so might not be right, this was precisely why she had come.

She already knew the answer, and there was no way Liana would do something that would cause trouble for herself.

“I just met with Princess Avira,” Liana said.

“Is that so?” Sephirena didn’t show much surprise.

“Didn’t you say that as long as I disguised myself a little, the elves wouldn’t notice? Why did Princess Avira realize something was wrong as soon as we met?” Liana asked.

“Sister Avira is the next Elf Queen. Of course she can’t be considered an ordinary elf.”

“So you’re saying that all you nobles among the elves can recognize me?” Liana asked.

“Not necessarily. Only elves who are favored by Mother Tree of Life might be able to notice you, Your Highness. But at the same time, they wouldn’t take the initiative to ask you, because they can also sense that you have been blessed by Her,” Sephirena said. “So, you exposed yourself on purpose, didn’t you, Your Highness?”

“Yes,” Liana nodded, but that wasn’t the main point. “Thank you for keeping my secret.”

“It’s only what I should do.” Sephirena didn’t think Her Highness [N O V E L I G H T] Liana had brought this up just to thank her.

“I didn’t take the initiative to tell her about our relationship either. Now, Princess Avira already knows I’m still alive. If you want to explain our relationship to her, I won’t mind. You can decide for yourself.”

“Mm, I know.” Sephirena nodded. Having this come from someone else’s mouth versus her own still made a certain difference.

“And then, I told Princess Avira that since we are allies, I wanted to meet the other two princesses. She agreed, but she said only you had the time,” Liana said.

“Sister Nimeris has been receiving a guest recently... no, it would be better to say Sister Nimeris has always been very busy and doesn’t have much time.”

“Princess Avira told me about this as well. I also know the person she is receiving. His name is Oester. I despise him.”