Gardenia’s Heart

Suspended between the sky and the ancient forest, nestled among one of the tallest trees, a grand meeting hall held six figures encircling a golden-haired girl.

The interior of the hall was semicircular, enclosed by golden arches intertwined with flowering vines. Large arched windows allowed sunlight to pour in, illuminating the center of the room—a raised platform encircled by a delicate metallic structure shaped like golden rings.

“Queen Elarielle, the council has been indulgent with your request to increase patrols and establish a state of alert,” said an elderly elf, scratching his long beard, his face marked with wrinkles that no longer hid his irritation. “But we cannot permit you to leave Lampides once again.”

“You're saying that my sister’s health is something the elves should simply ignore?” Lowering her head slightly and lifting her gaze, Elarielle fixed her eyes intently on the elder’s face.

The high elf was not dressed in armor today. Instead, she wore a moss-green dress, trimmed with black lace that outlined her bust and extended down to her waist, paired with fitted trousers. A high collar and dark gloves further emphasized her noble bearing. Upon her head, a golden crown encrusted with jewels affirmed her status.

Despite her simple attire, a single glance from her was enough to make the elder avert his eyes, scratching his beard a few more times as cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

“That’s not what we meant, Your Majesty,” he replied, almost stammering. “It’s just that we are not certain the ingredient your research seeks is truly within that labyrinth.”

Elarielle frowned, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him with growing irritation.

“So now you dare to doubt my sister’s powers?”

Her cold words struck hard enough that the old elf instinctively took a few steps back.

“We would never question Her Highness Thelira’s abilities,” another elder—a gray-haired elven woman—interjected, drawing Elarielle’s sharp gaze toward her. “However, unlike your mother, the late Queen Virelia, your sister is still young. She has not yet had the time nor the opportunity to fully develop her destiny as a seer. It’s possible that she may have misinterpreted one of her visions.”

The old woman’s face remained neutral, as if to show that Elarielle’s glare could not affect her. Firmly grounding her cane against the floor, she continued:

“We have already made exceptions to our budgets to procure the invaluable dragon’s blood and additional military supplies from Anthus. Yet you cannot blame us for wondering if even this heightened state of alert might be exaggerated. Our lands have always been marked by peace—danger has never once reached the gates of Lampides, not even during the war.”

“Are you forgetting the Torment?”

All six elders turned their heads in unison to face Elarielle.

“T-There’s no need to remind us of that event, Your Majesty, Queen Elarielle,” the old elven woman spoke again, for the first time a hint of unease creeping into her voice.

“She is right. There is no reason to stir those memories again,” the first elder said, pressing one hand firmly against his heart. “That incident left a deep scar for all of us to remember. However, thanks to the wise actions of the greatest seer our kingdom has ever known, Lampides—and the entire forest—escaped with minimal harm.”

Arms crossed, Elarielle stared at the six elders, their faces tense, while impatiently tapping her finger against her elbow.

“You only cling so tightly to the high elves because you believe you couldn’t survive without a sage to warn you of future dangers. Other than your age, you’re nothing but cowards, too afraid of everything.”

With a huff, Elarielle turned to leave.

“Queen Elarielle, you must reconsider the way you address us!”

The old elven woman shouted after her, the sound of her cane striking the floor echoing like a thunderclap through the hall.

Faced with that, Elarielle turned her head slightly. There was venom in her gaze, a clear aversion to the presence of those around her.

"Make no mistake," she said coldly. "I did not come here to ask for your permission. I simply came to inform you."

Such treatment was something none of the elders in the room could tolerate; their faces now flushed with anger.

"Queen Elarielle, if you continue insisting on this madness, we will have to—!"

But once again, they were reminded that confronting that girl was unwise.

"Try to stop me?" Elarielle interrupted, her voice sharp. "If I recall correctly, the final word over the army and all military matters is mine."

Her mana surged, forcing the six elves to clutch their throats, gasping for air.

"But if you still wish to try and stop me from reaching the labyrinth," she continued, resuming her steps toward the exit, "then know this—"

There was no hiding the disdain in her words or in her gaze. A faint glint of sarcasm shimmered in her eyes, as if daring anyone to question her resolve.

"You will need to come with the determination to kill."

---

At the royal palace of Lampides, two figures walked slowly down the corridors.

"Nia, I'm sorry," Lily muttered, pulling her hood down further, shrinking into herself. "I thought about letting my eyes show for everyone to see... but I would die if anyone saw my face right now."

(Don't worry about it, Lily.)

Nia let out a soft laugh at her beloved's crimson face, gently reassuring her.

"Lady Gardenia is right; there's nothing to worry about," added another voice.

Stopping in place, the golden-haired elf in strangely revealing clothes placed both hands behind her back, a composed smile on her lips. With mana-suppressing bracelets on each wrist, Thelira walked with measured ease.

"Besides," Thelira continued, "I made sure to tell the three maids not to speak a word about it to anyone. So don't worry—it’ll be something everyone soon forgets."

No sooner had the Sage finished speaking than two maids Lily had never seen before turned the corner.

At first, they bowed at the sight of the group, but the moment their eyes fell on Lily, their faces turned beet red as if catching fire, and they quickly fled down the hall.

"Thelira, can I ask you a question?" Lily asked.

"I humbly refuse," the high elf replied at once.

Unbothered by her answer, Lily pressed on.

"Did you show up in the bath because you were also planning to take a bath, or because you heard a strange noise and went to investigate?"

"…"

In that moment, silence was worse than any answer.

Thelira’s room and the bath were on the same floor, yes, but it still took at least ten minutes of walking through several corridors to get from one to the other. It wasn’t a matter of a single wall.

"How much did you hear?"

"Let's not get caught up in details, shall we?"

Lily tried to keep her footing, but it felt as if the ground beneath her had cracked open.

When they were still staying at the inn in Caligo, the girls had managed to escape notice because no one knew they were there. But now, as the palace's only guests, it was impossible to avoid being discovered.

The silver-haired girl knew that when she and Nia got excited, they could be noisy—but she hadn’t realized it was this bad.

(At least now everyone knows Lily is married, and no one will try anything stupid.) Nia thought cheerfully, tightening the grip of more than ten tentacles meticulously hidden under Lily’s black dress.

Hearing Nia’s remark, Lily realized that somehow, her beloved wasn’t upset about the situation at all—she was downright delighted.

With a sigh of defeat, Lily began absentmindedly stroking the tentacles. She decided that some things were simply better not to think too much about.

Turning her gaze to the high elf ahead, who had resumed walking to avoid saying anything that would make Lily feel even worse, Lily quietly followed behind.

"Where are we going?" Lily murmured.

"I thought you might not be in the mood to eat right now, so I wanted to show you a bit of the palace," Thelira replied with a smile, practically skipping down the corridors.

Both the uppermost floor and every floor below seemed more elaborate than any place Lily had ever stepped into. There were so many sculptures and ornamental vases lining the rooms and hallways that she genuinely wondered if craftsmanship was as popular among the elves as medicine was.

Due to the battle the night before, it was still possible to find shattered glass and cracks along the walls being repaired by elven builders. Some branches of the great tree that supported the castle had broken under the force of the blasts, causing moderate damage in several areas.

As they strolled, Lily noticed that Thelira was genuinely enjoying their conversation, chatting about how one of the guards had been caught sleeping during his shift or pointing out tiny stains on the walls that no servant had noticed to clean.

Given her health condition and status, it wasn’t hard to imagine that Thelira had very few people she could talk to about the little things she enjoyed. Lily thought briefly of Zaylin, but their relationship had felt more like a bond of debt after being saved rather than true friendship.

"You don't go out much, do you?" Lily asked.

"Before my condition worsened, I used to train as a mage every day," Thelira answered, bringing one finger to her lips thoughtfully, her previously bright expression dimming slightly. "But now, I spend almost every day inside the palace… and sadly, the same is true for my sister."

Thelira walked in silence for a while before stopping at a particular spot and turning toward one of the walls. There hung a painting of a majestic woman with golden hair, holding a gleaming bow. It didn’t take Lily long to recognize the ornate crown on her head—the same crown she had seen the previous night.

"Since she took the throne, I can count on one hand the number of times Elarielle has been allowed to leave the city. Being both the heroine and the queen, the pressure to take care of everything has weighed heavily on her."

She brushed her fingers along the edge of the frame, her voice lowering into something softer.

"My sister hasn’t had many opportunities to go to the labyrinth, and every attempt ended in failure. Today she went once again to ask the elders for permission to leave... but I fear she might end up getting into another fight."

She let out a dry, humorless laugh, clasping her hands over her chest.

Lily watched the high elf in silence for a moment before finally working up the courage to ask, "You mentioned this before... but the royal family... is it just the two of you?"

Thelira didn’t answer right away, taking a deep breath first.

"High elves are beyond rare. Simply put, we’re almost a dying species. On top of having an even harder time producing offspring than regular elves, many high elves died during the war, leading our people from the front lines. After our mother’s death, only my sister and I carry the royal blood."

Thelira took a moment to compose herself before turning back to the girl who listened patiently.

"If Elarielle dies in the labyrinth, the throne will pass to me by right. But since I don't have much time left to live, the elders can't afford for that to happen. They're the council formed by the six most influential noble families among the elves, and they oversee everything related to the law. The kingdom needs high elves—or more specifically, it needs sages."

Thelira let out a soft sigh.

"They even tried to force me to find partners and bear children, but I refused every single one of them. I want to choose the person I'll marry—and the person with whom I'll have a child."

Those words made Lily place both hands gently on the base of her belly.

She couldn’t even imagine having a child with anyone other than Nia, the woman she loved more than anything in the world.

"My sister is amazing, you know?" Thelira said, a sad expression forming on her face. "If she also doesn't find someone and have children, there will be no chance of another high elf with providence being born. If a new high elf with the potential to become a sage appears, everyone will abandon me and won't even care about my condition anymore."

For a moment, Thelira’s expression brightened.

"I just want my sister to have a happy life."

Hearing those words, Lily couldn’t help but bring her hands to her mouth to stifle a small laugh.

Thelira, unsure if she had done something wrong, looked at her in confusion, but Lily quickly reassured her.

"Sorry, it’s just... you sounded exactly like someone I know," Lily said.

She reflected that she really did tend to attract a very particular kind of person.

"I would love to hear more about it!" Thelira said excitedly, her crescent-moon-shaped eyes sparkling like a child about to hear a fun story.

"It’s a long story. I’ll tell you more when we have time," Lily replied.

Denied her request, Thelira pouted, puffing out her cheeks and clenching her fists. Her lips forming a slight pout made it clear she wasn’t pleased, but she quickly returned to her usual expression, and the two resumed walking.

After a bit more exploring, the group of girls finally reached the ground floor of the palace.

The gardens and the various water fountains instantly captured Lily’s attention.

Now that she was accompanied by Thelira, not a single guard dared come close as she wandered between the many flower beds, admiring all the different kinds of blooms that caught her eye.

"What's down that path?"

Passing along the outskirts of the wall, Lily noticed a bridge built from one of the giant branches. Beyond it, she could see the World Tree, the only place taller than the colossal palace itself.

"Over there is—"

"You know no one besides me or the elders is allowed near the seal, right?"

Before Thelira could answer, a subtly irritated voice interrupted.

"Sister!"

Walking toward them, Elarielle raised a hand to her sister's head, playfully ruffling her golden hair, which was so long it nearly touched the ground.

"The meeting went well. I'm heading out tonight," she said, her voice soft and gentle as she spoke to her sister, who seemed delighted by the touch despite being in public.

However, when her gaze landed on the silver-haired girl, her expression darkened once more.

"I still don't understand... why did you hide your vision from me and act in secret just to bring that into the city?"

As she clenched her teeth in visible disgust, a mischievous smile crept onto Lily’s lips.

"That? I thought the prestigious queen of the elves had called me 'human' before," Lily said slowly, lifting her chin defiantly, each word deliberate, as if she wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular.

"You and that other girl may look human, but you aren’t. I still don't know what you are. And until I do, you should be content with just being treated as a person."

"That's a creative way to cover up the fact that you were wrong," Lily said, her tone almost playful. "Seems like someone who once judged others by their eye color is now setting standards for what counts as a person?"

The tension between the two seemed to stretch out endlessly, heavy and suffocating.

Their cold, unwavering glares locked, neither willing to back down.

"See, Sister!?"

Stomping her foot hard against the ground, Thelira threw herself between the two women, her cheeks puffed out in anger, her sharp gaze filled with frustration.

"You, the person I trust the most, tried to kill her the moment you saw her. How do you think the other elves would react if I told them that a human is the only one who might be able to save me?"

For the first time, the queen was forced to take a step back.

She thought about arguing further but, seeing the serious look in Thelira’s eyes, she gritted her teeth again.

"I'm going to my study," Elarielle huffed, furrowing her brow before turning her back on them and walking away with firm, heavy steps.

As she watched the girl walk away, Thelira sighed and turned to her wives.

"I'm sorry about that," she said.

Lowering her head, Thelira apologized for the situation, but an unexpected response echoed back.

(If she ran away, that means Lily won!)

An excited voice rang out, and several tentacles began to affectionately wrap around the girl, both under and over her dress.

Jaw dropping at the scene, Thelira could only watch as Lily accepted the affection from her wife with a victorious smile.

"Oh, that's right! My sister's laboratory! You two have to see it, it's amazing!" As if she had just remembered something important, Thelira pointed several times in the direction Elarielle had gone and quickly led the group after her.

In just a few moments, the girls caught up to the queen, who, noticing she was being followed, simply rolled her eyes. Back inside the palace, they passed through several corridors before finally arriving at a small door.

When the door was opened, Lily had to blink several times to believe what she was seeing.

Dark wooden countertops were crammed with glass vials and test tubes. Strange magical artifacts, whose functions she could not even guess at, were scattered across every wall. The air was filled with the scent of dried herbs and essential oils, mixing with the smell of old paper from dozens of books piled chaotically across tables and the floor.

"Don’t touch anything, don’t step on anything, don’t smell anything, don’t breathe anything," Elarielle said as she entered the laboratory, tying her long golden hair into a ponytail. She grabbed a long white lab coat hanging by the door and slipped it on, the hem reaching to her ankles.

Despite the apparent mess, Lily quickly realized the high elf seemed to know exactly where everything was. Within moments of entering, Elarielle effortlessly retrieved various scrolls from the heaps of papers on the floor and began mixing herbs into pots.

"It's incredible, right? Everyone I've asked says my sister has the best medical laboratory in the world," Thelira said proudly, resting her hands on her hips.

Even though she wasn’t exactly fond of the queen, Lily couldn’t deny how impressive it all was.

The lab wasn’t enormous, but it held so many unfamiliar materials that Lily felt she could easily lose track of time just exploring them all. As she moved along the walls, shelves filled with potions of every kind being prepared for research caught her attention.

"What’s this?"

Tilting her head, Lily observed two small vials sitting on a workbench. One contained a deep, glowing red liquid that pulsed softly as if radiating pure mana. The other held a golden liquid so rich it looked as though molten gold had been poured inside.

"Don't touch that!"

Dropping everything she was doing, Elarielle quickly rushed over and snatched the two vials from the table, an irritated expression on her face.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? That’s dragon blood and sap from the World Tree! They’re the most powerful healing ingredients in existence! A single drop of either is worth more money than you’ll ever make in your entire life!"

Elarielle huffed angrily, frowning as she turned her back to move the materials out of Lily’s reach.

(You sure talk big for someone who got their butt kicked.)

The sarcastic voice rang out, and Elarielle instantly spun around.

"What?! Where did that come from?!"

Her green eyes scanned the laboratory rapidly. Watching her growing agitation, Lily realized that, as a high elf, Elarielle could also hear the metamorph’s voice. But caught off guard, she didn’t notice it was coming from within Lily herself.

"If it’s so special, why couldn’t you heal her with it?"

In a flash, a gelatinous mass leaped out from Lily's body and landed on one of the tables, quickly forming into the shape of a beautiful girl with purple hair.

As Elarielle’s gaze locked onto the unexpected visitor, a look of surprise crossed her face.

"Where did you—!? Tsk! Whatever, forget it," she muttered, shaking her head and turning back toward her documents, trying to ignore the situation.

"Oh, no comeback~?"

As the provocative voice echoed again, Elarielle clenched her teeth and turned around.

"Dragon blood can only heal physical wounds. I’ve already tried combining it with every herb from the Great Forest, but I was never able to create anything truly effective."

"If the mana flowing into her mana reservoir isn’t being recognized as part of her body, why didn’t you try engraving mana signatures directly onto her body?"

Sitting on the table and crossing her legs, Nia’s crimson eyes scanned the scrolls scattered across the benches.

"You think it’s that simple?" Elarielle snapped back. "Even if some genius lunatic managed to carve symbols directly into someone’s flesh, mana signatures use the user’s own mana to create the runes. Even though she has mana inside her body, that mana isn’t actually considered part of Thelira. So even if I used an engraving tool, it wouldn’t have any effect."

With her pride as a healer being tested, Elarielle’s words came faster, her breathing quickening as she rushed through her explanation.

"But what about the fairies? I know she has a contract with one. If the mana isn’t hers, how can they tell the difference?"

"Fairies are living beings with consciousness," Elarielle answered. "If I use the mana signature analogy, it’s like they consciously accept the mana offered through the contract as being part of the contractor’s own mana."

"A kind of selective differentiation with mana?" Nia rested her chin thoughtfully in her hand, about to continue speaking — but suddenly her entire body froze.

Her crimson eyes widened as she slowly turned her head to the side. Not even the faintest sound escaped her parted lips.

"...Nia?" Noticing the strange silence from her wife, Lily called out hesitantly.

In less than a second, a purple tentacle shot from Nia’s back, racing across the laboratory and smashing into a steel safe carefully hidden within one of the walls.

The sharp crash of metal being destroyed made all the girls spin around in alarm.

At first, Elarielle didn’t understand what was happening, but when she saw what the tentacle was holding, her face paled, and she dashed toward the girl.

"You little bastard—! Let go of that!"

However, before Elarielle could reach her, Nia fell backward through a portal resembling a starry sky and reappeared in the air directly above Lily. Landing gracefully, she wrapped her thighs and stomach around Lily’s face.

Having failed to stop her, Elarielle then rushed toward Thelira instead, frantically covering her eyes.

"Lily! Lily! I found one!"

Swinging back and forth excitedly on top of her wife, Nia cheerfully held a torn piece of paper in both hands.

"Nia!? Found what!?" Lily struggled to speak, her voice muffled against Nia’s body, unable to see a thing.

Beaming widely, the metamorph hugged her wife even tighter before declaring with great excitement:

"I have no doubt about it. It’s a page from the Book of Truth!"