"It turned out like this in the end."
"Will the same thing happen?"
"Should I leave here?" The girl muttered.
"Mother, was that girl the one who treated you?"
"Yes. That's right."
"But why did she run like that?"
"It's my fault."
"What's wrong?"
"That girl, she..." The old woman trailed off, not finishing her sentence.
The man tilted his head in confusion.
"No, it's okay. We'll talk about it later. You must be hungry, right? Eat first. I want to rest for a while."
The girl hadn't dared to leave the house for two days. But because her food supplies were running low, she was forced to venture out.
That afternoon, someone knocked on her door. The girl knew who it was. She didn't want to open it, but perhaps it was better to confront them directly. She didn't want to be a coward anymore.
Seeing the old woman's smile, the girl looked a little gloomy. An awkward silence enveloped them both. The old woman began to speak.
"Oh yes, this... My son brought it from the capital. I wanted to give it to you yesterday as a thank you." The old woman took out a box.
Inside were a pair of flower-shaped earrings with sky-blue beads, like her eyes and hair.
The girl didn't immediately accept them. The old woman could see the unease in her eyes.
"I apologize for earlier. I didn't suspect you were an elf."
"I'm truly sorry." The old woman bowed and apologized sincerely.
"N-no, no. It wasn't your fault. People wouldn't know I was an elf anyway. I-I know you didn't do it on purpose. I also apologize for my behavior earlier." The girl also bowed to the old woman.
After calming down, the two of them sat down across from each other and talked.
"Actually, when I first met you and visited your house, I felt something was off. But I thought maybe you've had a very difficult life, having to live here alone."
"When I was little, I met an elf. Her eyes were green like gems and her hair shone like gold. When I met her, I was also injured. She applied medicine to my wound, and it healed instantly."
"When I received the medicine from you, a suspicion crossed my mind. However, elves' appearance is striking, especially their long ears. They have to wear hoods because their hair alone can't cover them."
"But you weren't wearing one at the time. Even your ears were covered by hair. So I thought maybe you were good at making medicine. Until that day." The old woman smiled bitterly.
"I'm sorry, I suspected you before. It seems like I planned it all."
"But don't worry, no one knows your secret. And I didn't even tell my son."
"If I bothered you, I wouldn't come here again."
Hearing the old woman's honest statement made the girl feel strange. She felt like she would be fine talking to her.
"That... M-my ears aren't like those of most elves, because my mother was human. So I'm only half-elf."
"I don't really know what differentiates me from other elves, or even other humans." The girl said awkwardly.
"Is the medicine you created a blessing from the elves?"
"Yes."
"Sorry if this question sounds rude, but where are your parents? Don't elves have long lifespans?"
The girl opened and closed her trembling mouth before speaking.
"M-my mother died after giving birth to me due to an illness. And my father..." The girl paused for a moment.
"M-my father was killed by people in the village we lived in before."
Hearing this, the old woman's eyes widened. She was so shocked that she covered her mouth with both hands. Her face looked like she had heard something horrific.
"Sorry for asking such an uncomfortable question."
"It's okay."
"So the reason you live alone in the forest like this is because..."
Without the old woman finishing her sentence, the girl knew what she was going to say.
"Yes. I'm afraid of other people." The girl smiled bitterly.
The old woman looked sad, as she stroked the girl's head.
"I'm sorry. It must have been hard for you."
Feeling someone's warmth brought tears to the girl's eyes.
"But you're a great child. You even took the courage to bring me medicine. You're a really good child. Thank you. Your parents must be proud of you."
"Madam--, no, Grandma. May I visit your house again?" The girl asked.
"Yes. You're welcome to visit whenever you want. Also, you don't have to force yourself." The old woman replied.
"Oh yes. Please take these." It was a box she had brought, containing a pair of earrings.
"Thank you."
A week later, the girl came to visit the old woman's house. The old woman's son had returned to the capital. The girl remembered the old woman saying that her son worked as a security guard in the royal capital.
"Grandmother, here are some medicines for wounds, they might be useful for your son."
The girl gave some ointments and medicines for consumption.
"Oh my, you don't have to go to all this trouble."
"It's okay. This is my thanks for these beautiful earrings." The girl put on the earrings she'd given him.
"They really suit you."
The girl no longer wore her veil in front of the old woman. Her trust had increased slightly. Even her manner of speaking to the old woman had become more comfortable.
A few days later, at a guard post in the royal capital. Because yesterday a friend of his was injured in an attack, the old woman's son gave him the medicine that the girl had given him. Colleagues who saw it and the man himself were surprised by how effective the medicine was.
The stab wound, deep enough to bleed incessantly, stopped bleeding within minutes after his friend took the medicine.
The ointment he'd applied to the laceration also healed in just over an hour.
"Hey, where did you get this medicine?" A colleague asked.
"A kid my mother knows gave it to me." The old woman's son replied.
"Isn't this medicine quite remarkable? This is the first time I've seen such a miraculous medicine."
"Yes. Me too."
"Wouldn't it be very profitable if it were sold?"
"It should be. But I've never seen anyone selling such a medicine."
"Why doesn't that kid sell it? Can we buy it?"
"I don't know. She even gave it to my mother for free."
"Maybe she's a good kid? Why don't you ask her?"
"Should I?"
"Of course. Yesterday, he, who was almost dead, survived. Isn't that like a miracle?"
The man thought for a moment.
"Well, maybe I can ask my mother about it."
"Wait, when you say miracle, I remember this story." Another colleague spoke.
"A medicine made by elves."
The listening colleagues tilted their heads.
"Elves?"
"Yes. No matter how severe the illness, if the medicine is made by elves, it can be cured. Even by adding a little of their blood, someone who is near death can be brought back to life." His companion said.
"But, isn't that just a fairy tale? Even the elf race has been wiped out."
"But what if it's not just a fairy tale, and the elf race still exists?"
"So what? You're saying maybe the child is an elf?"
His companion nodded.
"That's impossible, right?"
Doubt was evident on the old woman son face.