Following Tessa's uninformative response, several of those around her exchange puzzled glances, while Mizuki continues to stare at her expectantly.
She can imagine what he's waiting for – clarifying questions from her, some kind of approval of the events that transpired in her absence, and above all else, an official decision about whether she'll support his marriage to Ilina.
Unfortunately, her thoughts are racing too much to participate in such important discussions.
{AN: From this point forward, when I'm doing another character's POV, I'll include their explicit inner thoughts inside single quotes, ''.}
'A Nephilim, like in the stories from when I was a girl!? The ancient, god-like mentors and benefactors of the first elves? The beings of legend whose blood is rumored to run in the veins of high elves to this day? It's absurd...completely absurd! There's no way that Mizuki is one of those Nephilim...'
She matches Mizuki's gaze with her own, searching his calm, green eyes as though they can confirm her thoughts. However, as she does, she doesn't feel skeptical or angry. All she feels is a sense of...foreboding...fear, even. Not fear of Mizuki himself, or his power, but of what he represents...a fear that her understanding of the world is in the process of shattering. That changes she can't fathom or control are on the horizon.
In other words, it's a fear that she can only feel because, on some level, deep down, she thinks what he's saying is the truth.
As she grew up, she eventually reached the conclusion that the Nephilim were either entirely made up, or their power was greatly exaggerated and they just died out. And yet, even if she assumes that Mizuki is lying about coming from another world, and about not being human, his power remains. He's living proof that the legendary power of the Nephilim isn't impossible.
More importantly, she sincerely doubts that he's lying about recently arriving here from another world.
For one, she finds the idea laughable that he could have been born on Azura and not drawn attention to himself before now. Furthermore, she's always found it difficult to reconcile Mizuki's behavior, intellect, and personal connections with someone who grew up in one of the human countries. Finally, there's no denying that the items he's made for Eden, both magical and mundane, can only be described as otherworldly.
And as far as she's concerned, as a resident of Azura, his power and otherworldly origins make him inhuman. Plus, there's his strange eyes, the fact that Nedonera has confirmed he doesn't age, and the way he has behaved since they met. So, at the very least, she believes that he's god-like non-human from another world.
So, her biggest reason to oppose his marriage to Ilina has now evaporated.
He's proven himself reasonable, calm, and intelligent, he'll live long enough, he's an asset to the elves a hundred times over, and his race, whatever it is, has never harmed her people. If he can give Ilina an appropriate heir, Tessa is forced to admit that he might be the greatest candidate for King they've ever had.
'In Mizuki's case, the two races he's most similar to are humans and Nephilim. According to Nedonera and elven lore, if either of those have a child with an elf, the result is most likely an elf. In the case of a Nephilim parent, the elf offspring are just more powerful and long-lived than normal. In other words, we have every reason to believe that, whatever his race, he'd give Ilina an heir that meets or far exceeds our expectations.'
And if he really is a Nephilim, which is seeming more plausible to her by the minute, every one of her instincts is screaming that she needs to support him. Because in that case, most of the legends about Nephilim are probably true as well. That would mean that she owes everything the elven race has come to take pride in – architecture, culture, history, magical knowledge, and more – to Mizuki's ancestors. In fact, as a high elf herself, it would mean that his ancestors' blood runs through her very own veins.
All of these facts are the reasons for her sense of foreboding. The logical side of her mind is finally telling her that she should throw herself behind Mizuki's marriage to Ilina to help their kingdom prosper like never before.
But in so doing, she'd be changing every convention that she's comfortable with. Her whole world, the norms of the Elven Kingdom that she feels she's mastered navigating to her advantage, would be upended hilariously. How would she navigate a new reality where a virtual god walks among their people, a human-looking outsider marries their Queen, and his descendants rule in perpetuity?
As someone who has prided herself on always having the answers, that uncertainty terrifies her. What's more, supporting this new world order would also mean accepting that she's let her ignorance and bias thus far work against her people's best interests.
That's something that her pride is struggling with.
She was always aware that she was biased against humans – feared and distrusted them as a rule, more than was rational. However, she also thought that, while her opinions and words were another matter, all of her actions and decisions regarding Mizuki were logical. That she was merely making the best decisions with the information she had.
However, knowing what she knows now and looking back, she doesn't feel that way anymore.
Sure, she could never have guessed that Mizuki is actually a Nephilim, or at least the next best thing. But at minimum, she shouldn't have acted on the assumption that he has to be a threat just because he's human. Her being unflinchingly skeptical of him because of the elves' history with humans, despite Mizuki's good personal deeds, is completely forgivable. But acting as though he was a certain threat, without evidence...
'My gods...I was going to have him killed! After the royal announcement, when I realized how much sway he had over Lady Nedonera. Then again earlier today, when he first revealed his power, I was still seriously entertaining the thought!
'Despite the fact that he'd never made any proactive moves other than to help the elves, that he'd already survived one assassination attempt from Alara, that he'd proven himself cunning and resourceful enough to outmaneuver me, and that Nedonera was obviously fond enough of him that she might've destroyed our cities out of spite if he died on our soil.
'Despite all that, I was willing to risk it just to get rid of him.'
The recent revelations about him only convince her just how careless she's been until now. If she'd actually made a doomed-to-fail assassination attempt and he'd retaliated seriously...
She feels her blood run cold just thinking about it.
Tessa is finally snapped out of her inner turmoil by the sound of Mizuki's voice.
"So, Lady Tessa, I gave you quite a lot of information. Do you have any questions?" (Mizuki)
Hearing his question, and seeing him sitting forward on the couch staring at her seriously, Tessa has to force herself to remember the context of where she is and what's at stake. Then, she takes a few deep, calming breaths and nods.
"Sorry, I had a lot to think about. Uhm...yes, I have questions, but not for you." (Tessa)
As Mizuki's face twists with bewilderment, she turns to face Jorah. He's currently sitting centimeters from Mizuki, as though they're long-lost friends, and he's staring at Princess Ilina with a dissatisfied expression.
'I assume that Jorah is now supporting the marriage proposal, but...why exactly? And just how much? Even if he's completely evaluating Mizuki on merit as Ilina's potential husband, and taking everything he's learned at face value, marrying off our Princess to a non-elf is still something I never thought he'd support.'
She raises her eyebrows at Jorah.
"Jorah, is it true that you're going to support Mizuki marrying our Princess?" (Tessa)
Startled by being suddenly addressed, Jorah tears his gaze away from Ilina with a surprised expression. As he seems to register the question, he waves dismissively.
"Hmm...what? Oh that, yes. They have my blessing, and I promised to do everything possible to get the commoners to see reason." (Jorah)
Her mouth instinctively parts in shock, and she stares at him in stunned silence for several moments. When she responds, her voice is thick with disbelief.
"And...you realize that, according to everyone who knows him, he doesn't age, right? If he marries Princess Ilina, given her preferences, he'll be the only husband she ever has. He'll give her immensely powerful elven children, outlive her, and probably act as a highly influential advisor and leader among the noble family...forever.
"Furthermore, he'll be our King. Even if he's stripped of the official duties and position, he'd still be our King in the people's eyes. You and everyone else would have to call him my King, or King Mizuki." (Tessa)
Jorah's face twists into an expression of horror, and she breathes a sigh of relief.
'I see...the world still makes sense. Jorah's just an idiot who didn't think anything through.'
Jorah's voice is incredulous.
"Why would we do something so incredibly idiotic!? I refuse! Stripping him of his official duties and position – it would be ridiculous! That's why one of the conditions for my support was that he has to become King, and accept all of Dargo's responsibilities." (Jorah)
Tessa yelps in surprise, the small semblance of calm she'd managed to regain shattering into a thousand pieces, as she fights the urge to relinquish her consciousness again.
"Conditions!? You're telling me that you insisted that he be King!? Why!?" (Tessa)
Jorah raises his eyebrows at her, his face as though he's just been asked why drinking water is important.
"Of course I did! Why would we waste the most powerful resource in our kingdom by freeing him from all of his obligations to us? You've seen how much he tries to avoid responsibilities, doing us favors, or just generally staying in one place! But as King, he'll help us as Princess Ilina directs, protect our interests, and he won't have enough unsupervised free time to go running off to other countries! Honestly...I can't believe that I'm the only noble who had the foresight to make his kingship a condition!" (Jorah)
Tessa blinks repeatedly, watching an annoyed expression cross Mizuki's face, which she can't help but feel like stems from him believing that everything Jorah just said is true.
'That is...terrifying...all of it. The fact that Mizuki is actually that averse to being under obligation to us, the fact that Jorah of all people was the one to recognize and address it, and the fact that Jorah is suddenly so amiable towards Mizuki. Does anything in the world make sense anymore?'
Ilina's voice pierces the silence, her tone approving and heavily amused.
"I agree that you showed great foresight, Lord Jorah, and that's why I've made sure that Mizuki agrees to your condition. I plan to make him as burdened by paperwork and the bureaucratic nonsense of nobles as I am." (Ilina)
Mizuki appears to sigh in resignation, a glassy, despondent look in his eyes. Meanwhile, Tessa watches as Jorah beams with pride at the praise, seemingly unaware that he's also been insulted and called a burden.
"Why thank you, Princess. Now then, if you would just be so kind as to reconsider my other conditions I wo-" (Jorah)
Ilina's eyes and voice are cold enough to freeze air solid.
"Denied. All of them. Denied." (Ilina)