Isis looked down at him, the corners of his mouth slightly curled with a slight smile.

"You want to ask, 'Do you love Naria?'" he said.

He was so calm that his face was not red. Ed's ears burned instantly, and he desperately lowered his head, wishing to knock his head on the floor.

"You can't even say the word 'love', how can you catch her?" said Iss, scoffing.

"But......" Ed's voice was small, but unexpectedly stubborn, "do you love her?"

Since the question was asked, he must get an answer.

"Probably...... Love it. Iss tilted his head, "You don't have to worry too much, though. ”

Ed looked up, his wrinkled face in agony looking like he was constipated.

"How could you not care!" he cried out, and quickly covered his mouth - no matter what, this could not be heard by Naria!

"Because I'm a dragon. Isis looked at him and smiled.

“...... Think of Sackses and his parents!" said Ed, "and you know their story better than I do." ”

"Yes......" Iss was still laughing, but the laughter didn't reach him, "his parents were dead—and so were they." ”

Ed choked, his face turning blue and red.

"I didn't mean that......" he argued eagerly, "I mean, it's possible...... If it were you, there would be better results......"

"There won't be. "It's not even about the length of life and the difference in race...... You didn't get it, Ed, I said 'probably' because I don't know if it's love, dragon...... At least the vast majority of people simply don't know what love is. I just ......"

He was silent for a moment.

"I just, hopefully, in her mind, I'll always be the most important. However, I also hope that I will always be the most important thing in your mind. I want all the people I care about to only have me in mind...... See, even I understand that this is not love, Ed, this is greed—this is the nature of dragons. He looked directly at Ed and confessed the ugliness in his heart, "Sometimes I feel like I treat you like a dragon is my own treasure...... It's just that the things that like to collect are not quite the same. ”

He didn't know what he was doing. If they saw him thoroughly, they would leave?...... But this is the real him, and they will find out one day.

"No...... It's different!" Ed jumped up, his face flushed, "...... It's completely different! You...... You will protect us, you will care about us, you will ...... You can even give us your own treasures......"

"That's not my treasure. Isis corrected him, inexplicably calm, "That's my father's—you're mine." ”

Ed was choked up again, and wasn't even sure if he should be angry or moved.

“...... In short, it's different!" he puffed up his chest in annoyance, "If you don't understand, I can teach you!"

Iss laughed out loud. It was a heartfelt laugh, and he finally understood why he didn't feel nervous or uneasy...... Because the person in front of him always manages to keep him nervous.

"Are you sure you understand?" he teased.

“...... It's a little better than you!" Ed stiffened.

"Even if I knew love, would it matter if I took Narya from you?" he asked, "and it is not a virtue of the dragon to fulfill others. ”

“...... It doesn't matter. Ed hung his head waddledly, "She wasn't in my hands either." ”

- It's true.

Iss shook his head, suddenly tempting to kick him again.

He kicked it, then threw Ed away, and walked away in a happy mood, completely oblivious to what he had come to do.

He may not be able to see the appearance of love clearly, but he can feel the warmth and pleasure it brings him...... and pain. So, maybe someday...... Can you see it clearly?

.

Ed was alone in the room for a moment, not long, as Iss quickly turned back again.

"I almost forgot. He disguised his embarrassment in a nonchalant tone, "This is for you." ”

He threw over a glittering silver ball, and his hand was heavy, but for a moment he couldn't see what it was.

"The star map that the silver Elven King gave you. Isis always can't help but be a little sarcastic when he talks about the Silver Leaf King, "The style of this thing is really exactly the same as his." ”

Curious, Ed spun the silver ball around, its seemingly smooth surface lightly carved with delicate patterns—the elves' tales of the gods and the stars.

It was beautiful, but Ed still couldn't laugh or cry - he didn't want this kind of ornament to be admired on his desk! Could it be that Fenway didn't make it clear?......

Upon closer inspection, there was a barely visible slit in the middle of the ball, and he tried to twist it, and in the crisp sound of a bell, the upper layer of the ball spun and bloomed like petals, revealing another layer that enveloped it. This layer of hollowing carved out many small star-shaped holes, and a faint glimmer of light appeared under them.

Ed's heart moved, and he rushed over and closed all the curtains, then stood in the middle of the room, and raised the silver ball almost reverently.

The light of the stars casts on the ceiling and walls, flickering and flickering like real stars, and it is incrediblely beautiful. If the surroundings are darker, it will probably make people feel like they are in a sea of stars.

"Great!" Ed exclaimed, as the elven poisoning, which had not been in attack for a long time, was showing signs of resurgence.

Isis gave him a disdainful look.

"Where's Finway?" Ed couldn't help but feel guilty as he thought of the shadow dancer he was always sending around.

"Gone. "Something seems to have happened in the elf's inn." ”

“...... Starry Night?" Ed startled, "Violeta is there!"

After Tess and Norway left, he went to Violeta and told her everything exactly as it was—as Norvi's only relative, she had a right to know.

The elf listened quietly, and the expression on his face was indescribably complicated.

"He's come to see me......" she murmured, "the mongoose...... It jumped through my window and tried to pretend to be a squirrel......"

She accepted this. But she didn't say a word about Ankland, as if it were a ridiculous lie that she didn't even care.

She didn't plan to go to Norway either.

"His own business, solve it himself. ”

She said it in a cold, hard tone, but Ed could see her annoyance - why did she have to rush to post it when Norway wouldn't ask her for help no matter what trouble she had?

Now she's training to become a Whisperer—a spirit who delivers messages. Ed suspected that he didn't really need to tell her some news...... She probably already knew.

Novi probably didn't want that. He probably wished that his sister would be able to be carefree in the forest forever, singing under the stars. But Ed thinks that perhaps because of the goal, Violita looks a lot calmer than before.

That's a good thing – but it has to be safe and sound.

.