(Erza's POV)
"Yuuta Kounari…"
His na slipped from my lips, trembling, as if even the sound of it carried too much weight for to bear. My hand pressed against my chest. Why is it that every ti I say his na, my heart pounds as if it wants to break free? Love… what a curse. Yet, if this is a curse, then I am glad to bear it.
Sister Mary's lips curved, a gentle giggle spilling forth. Her eyes sparkled knowingly, as though she had read every unspoken word written across my heart.
"Alright, my queen," she said softly. "Then let continue from where I left off."
She adjusted her veil, her expression shifting into sothing tender, touched with nostalgia. When she spoke again, her voice was lower, almost as if she feared her mories might scatter if spoken too loudly.
"When Yuuta was first brought before , he was only five years old. Such a small child…" Her gaze unfocused, drifting into the past. "He clung to the Queen's side as though she were the only anchor in his world. She dressed him, fed him, even held him like her very own blood. To the court, to the elders—he was a treasure. They adored him, doted on him, showered him with affection. To them, Yuuta was no less than a prince."
Her tone darkened, pulling closer to the heart of her mory.
"But then… the Spirit Queen intervened."
At that na, my head lifted sharply. Even among dragons, the Spirit Queen was not one to be spoken of lightly. She was more than a monarch—she was a fragnt of divinity. A lower deity who rarely descended into the affairs of mortals. For her to intervene in the fate of a single child…
Sister Mary's eyes clouded, her voice dropping into a hushed cadence.
"She warned us. Yuuta must be sent to Earth. No matter what. He must not remain in Nova. She said his happiness would wither here… and above all, she decreed that he must never return."
My lips parted, breath catching in my throat. Even now, hearing those words again, the weight of them crushed against . For the Spirit Queen to speak with such finality—it could only an Yuuta's existence carried a destiny vast and perilous, one beyond even my grasp.
Sister Mary's fingers coiled tightly around her rosary beads, the faint clink of them echoing in the stillness.
"The Queen called a council. For days, the halls rang with argunts. Who would take him? Who would risk such a task? To send a child into Earth—into that wasteland where mana is thin as dust—it was unthinkable. To us, it is like casting an elf into a desert, a slow and certain death. Worse still, many of our kind despised humans. Few were willing to even touch the matter."
Her voice grew bitter, the weight of old wounds seeping through.
"And then Royal Captain spoke. He offered my na."
She looked at then, a small, self-deprecating smile tugging at her lips.
"To the elders, it was the perfect solution. I was a criminal to be expelled. Yuuta would have soone to care for him, and they would be rid of . Two problems, solved in one stroke."
My fists clenched against my thighs. Such cruelty. Such cold calculation, to reduce both child and woman to tools in their sches.
But Sister Mary's expression softened, breaking through my anger. Her eyes glistened with mory as her voice grew gentle again.
"That was the day the Queen placed Yuuta before ," Sister Mary began. Her voice was soft at first, but the weight in it deepened with every word.
"She told … if I raised this boy in an unknown world for fifteen years, she would erase my cris and make Free citizen. But she also warned —the place I was being sent to was unlike ours. A world without magic. A place where the mana is so thick it chokes even a dragon. And yet… I accepted."
Her words hung heavy in the chamber, as if the mory itself still bled.
"When the spell ended, I found myself in that world with Yuuta at my side. He was so small then, only five years old. His mories of Nova were already gone, wiped clean. To him, I was all that remained. He clung to like a frightened kitten, terrified that I would vanish if he let go."
Her hands, resting on her knees, clenched tightly.
"The mont I drew breath there, I thought I would die. The air was poisoned with mana—dense, suffocating. Every inhale burned my lungs, every exhale felt like fire. If not for the few healing potions I carried, I would not have survived the first week."
She paused, eyes lowering, as though even now her body still rembered that pain.
"It was winter. The snow fell endlessly, drifting in thick, suffocating layers, piling high in the streets until the world itself felt buried. I had no warm cloak, no boots, nothing to shield us from the bitter cold. Yuuta trembled in my arms, his tiny body shaking so violently I thought my own heart would shatter. Every quiver of his fra filled with dread—each shiver whispered the sa fear: he might not make it through the night.
Sister Mary's voice softened to a fragile whisper, as though raising it any louder might shatter the mory itself.
"I went from shop to shop, begging for help, but the humans…" Her lips pressed thin, and her voice wavered with quiet bitterness. "They looked through as though I were nothing—less than air. To them, money was everything. I hid my ears, kept my head low, but it didn't matter. No one cared."
My chest tightened. Even sitting in the safety of this chamber, I felt the frost of that mory creep into the air, coating everything in ice.
"I wrapped him in my arms," she continued, her tone fragile, cracking under the weight of rembrance. "Pressed him against my chest, tried to pour every drop of warmth I had into his tiny body. But the cold… the cold would not let go. Every little breath he drew ca shallow, trembling. That night… I thought I would lose him. I thought I could not keep him alive."
Her eyes glimred with unshed tears, reflecting the dim candlelight.
"Finally," she whispered, her voice trembling like a leaf in a storm, "I offered a silver coin at a small shop… in exchange for bread. The shopkeeper laughed. Said it was fake silver. But because we were 'foreigners,' he tossed a single loaf… in exchange for one hundred and twenty silver coins."
Rage flared hot in my veins. "One loaf?" I hissed, my voice sharp as steel. "A hundred and twenty silver for one filthy piece of bread? You let him cheat you like that?"
But Sister Mary only shook her head, slowly, as if the weight of that night was still pressing on her shoulders. "My queen… hunger steals reason. Yuuta… he was starving. His lips were pale, his body weak. I could not think. All I saw was his trembling, his fading strength. I would have given anything—anything—just to keep him alive."
Her tears slipped free then, silent and steady, carving glistening tracks down her cheeks.
"Yuuta… he took the bread in his little hands. And then he smiled at ." Her voice faltered, breaking into sothing caught between pain and wonder. "Smiled… as though it were the most magnificent feast the world had ever offered. That night, we slept in a dumpster, wrapped in scraps of discarded paper. The snow seeped through the cracks, biting into our skin, but he pressed himself close to and whispered, 'Thank you, Sister Mary.'"
She covered her mouth, as if the mory itself was unbearable, as if speaking it aloud tore open wounds that had never fully healed.
"Day after day, it was the sa. Each sunrise brought more hunger, more cold, more exhaustion. No clean water. No proper food. Just scraps. Just snow. And still… Yuuta never once complained. Never. Instead, he would smile at with that tired, innocent smile and say, 'Soday, Sister Mary, we'll eat warm food. God will help us.'"
Her voice cracked, and she let out a soft sob.
"Yes… God will help us, Yuuta," I said while hugging Yuuta.
Her voice broke completely then, and the tears she had held back slipped free.
"I begged God," Sister Mary said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hands trembled as she clasped them together, knuckles white. "I begged Him over and over, though… truthfully, I never respected Him before. But seeing Yuuta suffer… seeing him shiver in the snow… I had no choice. I had to pray. I begged, I pleaded… until my throat went raw, until my voice was hoarse."
She paused, her eyes distant, staring at so mory no one else could see. "But no help ca. Not a single hand reached out to us. There were monts… so many monts… when I wanted to give up. I thought maybe it would be easier if I just let the cold take . If I could die, perhaps then Yuuta would have a chance to survive. But even in that despair… he always held my hand. That tiny, fragile hand never let go. And because of him… I couldn't bring myself to let go either."
The room was quiet, the silence thick. Only the faint sound of her tears dripping into her lap broke the stillness.
"I thought about… terrible things," she admitted, her voice trembling. "More than once, I considered selling my body for food, For surive. I hated myself for it, but I couldn't watch him trembling any longer, couldn't bear to see his little body wasting away. And yet… even as he shivered, even as he struggled to stay alive… he tried to comfort . He was only a child, yet he carried his suffering in silence, stronger than I ever could be."
Her lips quivered, and I felt my own heart tighten. It was almost unbearable to hear her speak of such helplessness.
Then, slowly, her tone shifted. A faint warmth entered her words, like sunlight breaking through a storm.
"And then… Father Elijah found us," she said, her voice small but steady. "He brought us to the Church orphanage—the Jesus Christ Foundation. There, for the first ti since arriving in this world, we were safe. They gave us food, warm clothes… shelter. Yuuta could smile again. For the first ti, I felt hope."
She looked at then, eyes glistening, a shadow of a smile on her lips.
"In our world, my Queen… gods are proud, arrogant. They teach us to slay our enemies, to punish traitors without hesitation. But here… the God they worship teaches love. Forgiveness. Compassion. They helped us… without asking for anything. And because of them, I survived. That… is how I beca a priestess."
I couldn't stop the shiver that ran down my spine. My voice caught when I spoke.
"Sending you into this world… without guidance, without knowledge… what if Yuuta had died? How could the Queen… allow such a thing?"
Sister Mary shook her head slowly, a mixture of sorrow and acceptance in her eyes.
"I don't know why the Queen didn't explain… but in the end, I am glad we survived. That is enough."
I lowered my gaze, my chest tightening with gratitude and sha.
"Thank you… Sister Mary," I whispered, my voice raw. "Thank you for enduring so much… for protecting my husband when I couldn't. I will never forget this. I will always be in your debt."
Her eyes softened, and for the first ti, I saw her not as a priestess, but as a woman who had carried the weight of another's life on her shoulders—and had survived.
Sister Mary's eyes softened as she spoke, her voice calm yet carrying the weight of her past.
"It's alright, my Queen," she said gently. "Everything happens for a reason. Everyone has their own journey. Mine… mine was filled with suffering, but it was to protect Yuuta. So that one day… you could marry him, and he could understand the value of family."
I blinked, feeling a warmth in my chest.
"Yes… he really is obsessed with family," I said softly, a small, amused smile tugging at my lips.
She chuckled, a sound like wind rustling through leaves. "And after that… as he grew up, hunger shaped him. Starvation forced him to make choices. That's why he decided to beco a chef. He wanted to help children who were starving, to make sure no one else would suffer like he did."
I tilted my head, realization dawning. "Ah… that's why he's so obsessed with cooking," I murmured, smiling faintly.
Sister Mary's gaze twinkled, a playful light appearing despite her solemn tone. "I'm sure he forces you to eat his food, right?"
I puffed my cheeks and crossed my arms, frowning in mock frustration. "Of course he does! Don't get wrong—he makes amazing dishes. But he always uses the spiciest ones for . Just to… to make suffer a little. And tease ."
Sister Mary laughed, a warm, gentle sound that made the room feel lighter. "Well… that does sound like Yuuta," she said, shaking her head.
I puffed my cheeks and huffed, crossing my arms. "He's such an idiot! A mortal who only knows how to tease ," I said, letting a small scowl show on my face.
Sister Mary chuckled lightly, her hands folded in front of her as if she had just uncovered a secret. "Sounds like You really do love him, my queen. I never thought I'd see the day when you would fall so deeply for soone."
My cheeks puffed before I could stop myself. "I-It's not like that," I muttered, turning my face away. "I don't love him that much."
Her smile only grew brighter. "I understand, I understand."
I studied her quietly, her amusent still lingering in her expression. A thought crossed my mind, and I tilted my head. "Sister Mary… do you not have a love interest of your own?"
She closed her eyes, as though recalling sothing fond. "Of course, I do."
"Oh?" My curiosity sharpened. "And who might that be?"
Her lips curved softly as she answered. "The Knight Captain of the Royal Guard. The strongest man in my kingdom, and the only handso one in my eyes—Captain Robert."
My breath hitched. For a mont, the world stilled. Then a surge of heat coursed through , and my aura spilled out, unbidden. The air grew heavy, trembling with my rage.
Mary's laughter died in her throat. She Instantly understand my rage, She dropped to her knees in an instant, bowing so low her forehead touched the ground. "Forgive , my queen! I did not an to offend you! Please, grant rcy!"
I inhaled sharply, forcing the storm inside to settle. Slowly, I pulled the power back into myself, until the suffocating pressure in the room eased. "Stand, Sister Mary. You have done nothing wrong. I… simply lost myself for a mont."
Her eyes flickered with fear as she rose halfway. "Why, my queen? Did Robert… did he do sothing to you?"
A cold silence filled the space between us before I finally spoke. "In the future, if I ever set foot in your kingdom, do not let see that man."
She blinked, startled. "Why…? my Queen."
My voice ca out like ice. "Because he once laid his hands on my mortal. He tortured Yuuta for a week—rcilessly, without pause. All because he was human, and because of so foolish tie to Sophia's incident. He showed no restraint. No compassion."
Mary's face paled, her lips parting in shock. "T-Torture…in Elf kingdom?" she whispered, shaking her head as if the word itself weighed too much.
"Yes." The mory burned in my chest like fire, though my expression did not waver. "So rember my words, Sister Mary. Do not let him stand before . If you do, you will curse for the rest of your life."
Her head dropped again, trembling. "I understand, my queen. I swear it. I will make certain you never cross paths with him."
I closed my eyes for a mont, taking a slow, steadying breath. "I… I am truly sorry, Sister Mary. I let my emotions take over."
She placed a gentle hand over mine, her touch calm and grounding. "It's… understandable, my queen. I know how it feels to discover that the one you love has endured so much. Don't worry. I will make sure, you never cross paths with him."
I forced a small smile, trying to shift the mood. "Sister Mary… tell . Did you notice anything different about him compared to the other children in the orphanage?"
She tilted her head, her expression thoughtful. "Hmm… not at first, no. He seed… like any other child. Quiet, careful, observant. But nothing extraordinary leapt out at ."
I leaned forward slightly, curiosity tugging at . "I see… I suppose it's because he was born in a lab. I can't help but wonder… did he have any… unusual abilities? Anything that made him… different?"
Sister Mary's eyes flickered with sothing unreadable—a shadow of wonder, maybe even worry. She drew in a breath, her voice lowering just a little. "Well… there is one thing I did notice."
I leaned closer, my pulse quickening. "What is it? Tell , Sister Mary."
She let the mont stretch, savoring it like a secret she had carried for years. Then, finally, she t my eyes and said, with a soft, almost reverent tone…
He was ____
To be continued.
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