Celestienne walked along the forest path toward the elf woods with her friends: Selene, Velissandra, Eryndor, and Seraphina.
"Ha, Selene… do you know how many days it takes to reach the elf woods?" Celestienne asked with a sweet smile.
Selene shook her head slightly. "I'm not exactly sure. But people say it can take seven to ten days."
"Oh, really? Thank you for answering, Selene. Hehe," Celestienne replied with a light laugh. Her sweet smile made Eryndor unconsciously freeze, mesmerized by her beauty.
Eryndor leaned toward Velissandra and whispered in her ear, "Hey, Velissandra… does Celestienne have a boyfriend?"
Velissandra raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Why do you want to know? Are you… in love with her?"
"No, I'm just curious. Just answer me," he urged.
Velissandra exhaled slowly, leaving Eryndor puzzled. "Why are you acting like this? You look like someone holding their breath," she muttered.
But before he could ask further, Velissandra suddenly shouted loudly, making Eryndor's ears hurt.
"CELESTIENNE! ERYNDOR WANTS TO KNOW—DO YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!"
"WHAAAT?! Why are you shouting, Velissandra?" Eryndor panicked, his face turning bright red with embarrassment.
The group stopped. Everyone stared at Eryndor, confused.
"Why are you asking that, Eryndor?" Celestienne asked, stepping closer to him.
Seraphina covered her mouth with her fan, suppressing a small laugh, while Selene just stared, full of curiosity.
"Could it be… that you like Celestienne?"
"N-no! I'm just curious. Someone as beautiful as Celestienne… surely she doesn't have a boyfriend?" Eryndor stammered, avoiding everyone's gaze.
Celestienne smiled softly. "Alright. If you want to know… I don't have a boyfriend. But…" she paused for a moment, "…before I left for the academy, someone confessed to me. But I turned him down."
Everyone gasped and immediately pressed her.
"Tell us! Who was it?!"
Celestienne hesitated for a moment but finally nodded gently. "Alright… I'll tell you."
---
Before Entering the Academy
A few months ago, before Celestienne entered the academy…
The carriage carrying her out of the gates of Ironvale capital was suddenly stopped by a young man running in a hurry.
"Wait! Princess Celestienne, I want to talk to you for a moment!" Rowan's voice rang loudly.
Celestienne turned from the window and signaled the driver to stop the horses. The door opened, and she slowly stepped down. Rowan stood there, panting from running.
"Thank you for stopping, Princess Celestienne," he said, his face flushed.
"Yes, Rowan. Quickly, what do you want to say?" Celestienne looked at him calmly.
Rowan grasped her hand, hesitating. "I-I… I like you, Princess Celestienne."
Celestienne fell silent, surprised. Her expression looked calm, almost teasing, though she simply didn't know how to react. Rowan misinterpreted her silence.
"Surely Princess Celestienne is laughing at me… or about to reject me," he thought.
Finally, Celestienne replied, "I'm sorry, Rowan. I have to turn you down. Not because you're a commoner, but… there's another reason." Her face showed sincerity, though her voice was soft and full of regret.
Rowan lowered his head in disappointment. "A reason? What reason, Princess?"
Celestienne shook her head. "I can't tell anyone. I'm sorry, Rowan. Don't you want to talk about anything else?"
Rowan took a deep breath. "No. I just wanted to express my feelings."
Celestienne then smiled faintly and whispered in his ear, "I just want to be friends, Rowan."
Hearing this, Rowan's heart, which had felt crushed, felt slightly relieved. "Really… you want to be friends with me, Celestienne?"
"Yes. For now, I don't want to date anyone. I need to focus on the academy. So… farewell, Rowan." Celestienne waved and returned to the carriage.
Rowan watched her leave, but in his heart, he made a vow: Then I will call you Celestienne… and someday, I will win your heart.
---
Back to the Present
After Celestienne finished telling the story about Rowan, the group resumed their journey. Silence fell for a moment, only the sound of footsteps along the forest path toward the elf woods breaking the quiet.
Far away—in the tallest tower of Ironvale Academy—a man wearing glasses stood near a large window. The evening wind lifted strands of his hair as his sharp eyes stared south, toward the path Celestienne was walking.
"Interesting…" he murmured, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
"This time… I'll make sure our plan works."
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the flow of magic stretching from the tower to the forest.
"Come on, Celestienne… show us what you can do. And when the time comes, the Union will move."
A soft laugh echoed in the empty room before the wind gently closed the window curtains.
---
Late Afternoon
The sun leaned toward the south as Celestienne and her group continued walking through the thick forest. The elf woods felt foreign—silent, without villages, without signs of life except for birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Seraphina complained, fanning herself. "Why… is there no village at all in this forest?" she shouted irritably. Her voice echoed, causing a flock of birds to panic and fly from the branches.
Eryndor turned, sweat dripping down his face. "Hey, Seraphina! This is a forest, how could there be a village! More importantly… do you still have water to drink?"
Seraphina grinned sheepishly. "Uh… it's finished."
Silence fell over the group. The wind blew, leaves rustled, and everyone stared at Seraphina in disbelief.
"Idiot! That was our last supply!" Eryndor nearly exploded with anger. He even clenched his fists, almost wanting to punch Seraphina's head.
But Selene quickly stopped him. "Enough. Don't waste energy fighting. We can get water from the trees here." She pointed to a tall tree growing nearby.
"Oh right… I forgot, the elf forest has trees that produce water." Eryndor slapped his forehead, letting out a dry chuckle.
Celestienne stepped forward calmly. "Give me your bottle, Seraphina. I'll fill it."
Seraphina handed over the bottle, still with a shy smile. Celestienne approached the tree, placed her hand on it, and slowly clear water began dripping, filling the bottle little by little.
Eryndor, curious, asked, "Hey, Celestienne… do you know what kind of tree this is?"
Celestienne looked back at him with a gentle gaze. "Of course. This tree is called the God Tree by the elves."
Seraphina and Eryndor were stunned, exchanging glances. Velissandra remained silent, while Selene looked unsurprised—as if she had known all along.
But before they could ask further, a loud angry voice rang out.
"Who are you?! How dare you take water from the God Tree without permission!"
Everyone turned. From behind the trees, an elf appeared, his face filled with anger. He held a bow tightly, ready to shoot.
Eryndor whispered tensely, "Could it be… an elf?"
Celestienne, having finished filling the bottle, closed it and stepped forward. A warm smile appeared on her face. "Hello, elves. How are you?"
The elf growled. "Don't pretend to be friendly, human! We know you are evil… you have killed our kind without mercy!" His eyes filled with tears, haunted by past wounds.
Celestienne's smile slowly faded. Her expression became cold, almost emotionless. In an instant, she leapt in front of the elf, standing right before him.
"Take me to your family," she said firmly. "I want to see them. I will heal them."
The elf was shocked, looking at her with doubt. "Liar! You must be planning to kill them, just like other humans!"
Celestienne stared into his eyes. "No. I am not lying. We are here only to seek guidance, not to harm anyone."
The elf gritted his teeth. But as a race capable of seeing the truth in someone's heart, he quickly realized something. When he looked at Celestienne, there was no lie in her.
"…You're serious?" he whispered, hope slowly filling his eyes.
"Yes," Celestienne replied softly but firmly. "Your kind is actually good. You've just never left this forest. That's why misunderstandings with humans have grown."
The elf remained silent for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Alright… come with me. But if you lie…" His fingers clenched the bow tightly, "…I will personally end your life."
Celestienne smiled faintly, then looked at her friends. "Let's go. It seems our journey is just beginning."
Carefully, they followed the elf, venturing deeper into the forest.
---
Epilogue
The group's steps finally reached the elf settlement. Silence pervaded, wooden houses towering among the trees, full of a foreign and sacred aura.
But as Celestienne set foot at the gate, her eyes immediately fell upon a small girl in the distance.
"Ap… what…?" Celestienne muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.
The elf child, standing beside her older sister, looked back confused. She couldn't understand why a human could gaze at her with an expression as if recognizing her.
Apparently… this human is not what I thought. But… why does she look so shocked seeing my little sister? the elf thought, her heart stirred with questions.
The air was still, tense, as if holding a great secret ready to be revealed.
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Chapter 12 Completed.
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Thanks for reading Chapter 12! If you're having trouble accessing it on Webnovel, try reading Chapters 0 & 1 on Tapas.