Leon turned his head toward the voice and saw Zelda approaching with Elina, Nymiel, Vaelira, and Naeriel—all wearing anxious, worried expressions.
"I'm fine," Leon said softly.
Zelda exhaled in relief. Although she knew Leon was incredibly strong, a constant unease had kept her tense the entire ti.
The five won stepped into the room, startled by the ss before them.
The wardrobe on the left was tilted, the desk lay overturned, and several other pieces of furniture were out of place. They all sighed, clearly feeling helpless.
"This..." Nymiel started, but her voice trailed off, unsure how to put it into words.
It had only been an hour since they asked the maid to prepare a new room for Leon, yet it was already in a ss again—though not as badly as the last ti.
Vaelira and Naeriel remained silent, but their expressions mirrored Nymiel's concern.
"Wow! Young master, did you just have a battle with soone?" Elina asked, blinking innocently, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
Suddenly—
*Plak!*
Zelda smacked Elina on the head, making her yelp in pain.
"Ouch! Sister, you're so cruel! Why'd you hit ?" Elina whined, rubbing her head and glaring at her sister, tears welling in her eyes.
"Watch your mouth," Zelda replied coldly.
Under her sharp gaze, Elina imdiately shrank back like a chick facing a predator.
She pouted and looked away sadly.
Nymiel, Naeriel, and Vaelira simply smiled and stayed silent as they watched the exchange.
Zelda turned her gaze back to Leon, about to speak—but Leon raised a hand to stop her.
"I know what you're going to say," he said, then stepped aside, revealing lissa standing stiffly with her eyes closed.
"A Dark Elf?" Nymiel, Naeriel, and Vaelira were stunned, as if unable to believe their eyes.
Even Zelda and Elina covered their mouths, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
"Leon... this..." Zelda bit her lower lip, trying to speak but hesitating.
Leon smiled faintly and explained, "This Dark Elf is lissa—the maid you assigned to . Earlier..."
He then recounted everything to Zelda, Elina, Nymiel, Naeriel, and Vaelira in detail: how he had pretended to be affected by the poison lissa had slipped into the herbal food she prepared, and how he ultimately subdued her into her current state.
They listened closely, but as the story went on, their expressions grew more conflicted and heavy.
"I never would have thought it was lissa," Nymiel said with a deep sigh.
Had it been any other maid, they might not have been so shocked. But lissa—diligent, capable, and considered the best among them—was the last person they would have suspected.
That was exactly why they had entrusted her to serve as Leon's personal maid and attend to his every need.
To now realize they had unknowingly placed an enemy at Leon's side filled them with both embarrassnt and anger.
Moreover, the fact that lissa had been a spy for a hundred years ant she had been watching them all that ti—without their slightest suspicion.
It would be a lie to say they weren't annoyed or didn't hate themselves for their carelessness.
Zelda remained silent for a long mont before finally lifting her head to look at Leon seriously.
"How do you think we should handle this?" she asked.
Since Leon had uncovered the truth, the right to decide lissa's punishnt naturally fell to him.
After all, it was their oversight that allowed lissa to remain hidden for so long—even rising to the position of Leon's personal maid.
Zelda feared that Leon might resent her or turn against them because of this.
In response, Leon shook his head and replied, "I won't get involved in this matter. I—"
Before he could finish, Zelda suddenly interrupted with a shout.
"No! You're the one who must decide this."
Leon froze, eting her serious gaze—one shadowed by anxiety and fear.
In that instant, he understood the reason behind her reaction and gave a gentle smile.
"You're worried I'll be angry, aren't you?" he said, softly rubbing her head. "But believe —I'm not angry. I don't feel any hatred, and certainly not toward the elven race, over sothing like this. I'm not that narrow-minded. Relax."
Under his reassuring touch, Zelda's tension slowly lted away, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
Noticing this, the three elders exchanged knowing glances and smiled.
Elina stood off to the side, pouting slightly, a hint of jealousy in her eyes.
"Hmph! Sister, you're such a child," Elina grumbled, clearly annoyed.
Once she had cald down, Zelda clenched her fists and said firmly, "Even so, I still want to hear your opinion, Leon. Please, tell ."
Leon knew there was no point in avoiding the question. Zelda was stubborn—once she made up her mind, she wouldn't back down.
He withdrew his hand from her head, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then turned his gaze toward lissa, who stood silently beside him.
"To be honest, my original plan was to eliminate lissa and the other Dark Elves," he said frankly. His eyes narrowed slightly. "But I abandoned that idea after learning the truth."
"Dark Elves are part of the Elven race. Their transformation happened due to the Evil God's influence—his dark power corrupted them. However, they're not mindless slaves. They still possess consciousness and free will."
"Of course, I can't say for sure that all Dark Elves are like lissa. But I believe that if the dark power within them can be removed, they'll truly be free."
He turned to Zelda, his expression serious. "At this point, I can no longer intervene. This is your responsibility as the Elf Queen. If you want to unite them under your rule, you must guide your people and help them accept the existence of the Dark Elves. So tell —are you truly ready for that?"
Keep in mind, the World Tree has been tainted by dark forces for seven thousand years. That ans the Dark Elves have existed since that ti.
Throughout those years, the Elven race and the Dark Elves were locked in conflict. More often than not, it was the Dark Elves who launched attacks, seeking to control the land.
Because of this, many Elves ca to hate the Dark Elves deeply—hatred that eventually reached its peak.
Zelda's role is crucial here. To unite the Elves and Dark Elves, she must change her people's mindset—to make them accept the Dark Elves and let go of their hatred.
Obviously, this will be extrely difficult—so might even say impossible. But if the Elven race wants to stay strong, it's the only way.
Hearing this, Elina and the three elders were stunned. They hadn't expected Leon's suggestion to be so surprising.
Yet, they remained silent, their eyes fixed on Zelda, waiting for her to decide.
Feeling their gaze, Zelda remained composed.
She clenched her fists tightly, lifted her head to et Leon's eyes, and nodded firmly.
"I will accept your suggestion. Leave it to ."
Leon smiled gently and stroked her head once more.
"Very good... I believe you can do it."
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