The Nymph Wants to be Plundered - Chapter 64

“I’ve heard about the circumstances. That the nymph’s tree was originally weak, and since there was no one to care for the nymph in the human kingdom, it was unavoidable to bring her here. So it’s only right that His Majesty the King takes good care of her.”

Although she had intended to speak moderately and move on, from this point she simply couldn’t hold back anymore. Such was typically the pride of elves, who consider themselves the most superior among bipedal races. Mel found herself bristling without even realizing it.

“What’s right about it? It’s not just that she’s presumptuously occupying His Majesty’s bedroom. They’re telling me to wait on her too—why should I have to do that?”

If they had been affectionate siblings, a sympathetic response to her grumbling complaint would have been more than enough, but Brax was different. The young border guard, particularly promising and renowned for his fairness, cut off his younger sister’s irritation firmly.

“You know better than anyone that keeping a weakened nymph close and caring for her regularly is the only solution. Isn’t it unavoidable until the tree is safely revived? If the current King weren’t the guardian of the World Tree, that nymph would be struggling for her life by now. Are you saying that would be alright?”

“No matter what, the importance of His Majesty and a mere nymph aren’t the same.”

“Even if we separate their quarters as you say, the nymph still needs to stay in the Hall of Glory until she’s safe, just in case. Ah, are you saying we should call another elf to attend to the nymph because you don’t want to?”

“That’s not it!”

There seemed to be something more behind his sister’s objection. Isn’t it said that strong denial implies affirmation? Brax tried to gauge what it might be and arrived at a suspicious conjecture, but hesitated, reluctant before finally managing to speak.

“…Mel. Could it be that you harbor romantic feelings for His Majesty? You know better than I do that he has abstained for a long time.”

Mel was so shocked that she unintentionally released mana, resulting in her standing with the ends of her hair sticking straight up as she protested.

“Absolutely, absolutely not! Even if lightning strikes from the sky, it would never be me!”

“Really?”

“If I were going to do that, I wouldn’t have taken the soul oath. When I clearly know that someone as remarkable as His Majesty could have more than ten lovers at once, how could I possibly do that? I absolutely cannot tolerate my man looking at other women.”

The siblings’ surprising conversation perfectly reflected the licentious love lives of the elves.

Given the elven characteristic of being able to control the timing of pregnancy regardless of gender, they did not hesitate to enjoy pleasure. Their drastically reduced interaction with humans was due to arrogance mixed with the excuse of historical progression, and before that, the elven race had frequently enjoyed forbidden trysts. They are merely strictly controlled to prevent mixed-blood offspring. Of course, nymphs, who were once prosperous, were naturally included among their targets.

Brax fell into contemplation after hearing her unambiguous answer. If that wasn’t the reason, then there was no other explanation.

“Mel.”

“I don’t like it, I just don’t like it.”

Despite his sister’s sulking appearance, Brax remained unyielding and inflexible.

“From what I hear, you’re no longer attending to that nymph. His Majesty has considered your hardship and replaced you with spirits, so stop harboring unnecessary resentment.”

“That’s…!”

“See, it’s you who keeps trying to push her away even though there’s no remaining reason. If you’re going to be like that, you might as well withdraw your soul oath. So the nymph won’t have to be concerned about your feelings while moving in and out of the Hall.”

Though Brax had only returned to the castle today, he acted as if he knew all the circumstances thoroughly. He was meticulous in scolding his immature sister and then skillfully consoling her. Mel floundered, unable to dispute her brother’s words, then shouted:

“My oath remains valid forever! And brother, what if she keeps clinging to His Majesty’s mercy and lives as a parasite in the Hall of Glory for her entire life? That’s too unseemly!”

The gaze directed at his stubbornly enraged sister was utterly serene.

“You just said it yourself.”

“What?”

“You said it wouldn’t be surprising if His Majesty had more than ten lovers, right? Why not consider that nymph as one of them?”

Mel’s mouth fell open.

“T-that’s different. That’s an entirely different matter. How can a nymph be the same as us? It’s not like we meet nymphs for fun when there are many of them…”

“Mel. Do you still not understand the core of my request? Instead of simply agreeing not to mistreat that innocent nymph, you’ve dragged this all the way here. Fine, I need not say more. Are you insisting on maintaining your stubbornness and defying His Majesty’s measures?”

“B-brother?”

When it seemed the situation would not improve despite his continued reasoning, Brax took a stronger stance.

“Alright, before the Aika Festival, I’ll speak directly to His Majesty. How can I, as your blood relative, simply watch as you boil with resentment over a mere nymph while coming and going through the Hall of Glory? I’ll request that you be removed from His Majesty’s handmaidens…”

“Ah, I understand. I said I understand! But I haven’t done anything wrong. I didn’t deliberately try to torment her and I followed all the orders I was given. Brother, really, everyone in the castle is the same. You all think I’m the only one who hates her… ahem, ahem! Anyway, I’ll try my best to avoid crossing paths with her from now on. These days, I hardly even see her face anyway.”

Having confessed straightforwardly after her attempted excuses, Mel rolled her eyes dramatically.