Tess put down the half-nibbled pie and sat up straight, her amber eyes quickly condensing with a layer of mist, as if she could turn into tears at any moment.

"No more. She said in a small voice, her eyes heartbreaking with sadness.

“…… What?" Ed's eyes widened in shock and sympathy.

"The child is gone. Tess's complaining gaze rolled over the elf's face and she lowered her head with a sob, "Because his father doesn't want him." ”

Ed turned to Norway with a confused look - that didn't sound like an elf would do.

The elf's flushed face had quickly turned pale.

"Tess ......," he reluctantly raised his hand, "shall we talk about this later?"

"Of course!" Tess looked up, there was no tear in her sparkling eyes, "How late is 'late'? tonight? I'll be fine at any time!"

The elf smiled wryly and began to wander his gaze.

“…… Never mind. Tess said unhappily, as if she hadn't expected much from it. She grabbed the pie she had thrown on her plate and bit down viciously.

Beside Ed, the elf was silent for a few moments before letting out a long, tired sigh softly.

"Tess wasn't pregnant at all. ”

After dinner, as she and Ed walked back to their respective rooms, Naria smiled and told him:

"At first it seemed like it was because a maid saw her touching her belly and sighed - I guess she found herself gaining weight again. She was always with Norvi, and everyone thought they were a couple...... So somehow. Almost everyone thought she was pregnant, and she didn't deny it herself. The elf probably denied it, and that would have made him look so bad in the eyes of the girls...... Alan has been keeping his friends on the lookout. And when they told him, 'That little red-haired thief is pregnant,' he told me without any suspicion. ”

Sometimes she thinks that maybe Alan knows very well that this is just a misunderstanding...... But he gave Narya a good reason, a reason she needed to avoid the things she didn't want to face anymore and come back here in the name of it.

"Oh......" Ed suddenly let out a simple sigh, slightly regretful. "I think that's good news. ”

"yes...... Tess wants to get pregnant. "She wants to be Norvi's real wife and have a baby for him...... But the elves have too many concerns. He raised Tess. Nominally, he is Tess's adoptive father, though Tates has been strenuously denying this. ”

Ed nodded understandingly, "And he's an elf...... He'll be the same in a few decades, but Tess is ......"

It is a chasm that cannot be bridged, a regret that cannot be eliminated...... Not everyone has the courage to face this.

Naria whispered, "I asked Tess. She wasn't worried about that at all. Aren't you scared at all? She told me......" She cleared her throat, raised her head and opened her eyes wide, and suddenly spoke faster: "'Oh, of course I'm scared. I was scared to death when I found out I liked a hellish elf, but then I figured it out, I'm a human being, my life is so short, how can I hesitate. If you don't eat him while you're young, will you regret it when you're too old to eat?!"

Her tone and expression were vivid. Ed couldn't help but laugh.

"We'll see. Naria said firmly, unconsciously a little proud, "She can handle her elves." ”

- Yes, Tess is much stronger and braver than she is.

She tilted her head to look at Ed, and asked curiously, "Where did you hear about this? Don't tell me it's already spread to another country." ”

"Iss told me. Ed shrugged, "Maybe Alan told him too?"

"Allen had already left Stonebug before he got the news. Naria was a little frustrated, but also a little annoyed, "He didn't even say goodbye to us! ”

Ed stole a glance at her, not daring to say anything more.

"Is......" Naria hesitated, but couldn't help but ask, "Is he okay?"

Then she shook her head herself: "Oh, I forgot you and I don't know where he is...... Does he want us to go to him again?"

“…… He'll be fine. Ed comforted him softly, "I don't really know where he is, but it's not the same now...... He knew who he was, and he knew what he was doing...... He'll be fine. ”

- Do you really believe it, or do you hope so much?Why didn't you continue to look for him?Why did you come back suddenly?Is there anything I can do for you?......

Narya wanted to ask Ed that, but in the end she just lowered her head and repeated softly:

"Hmm...... Of course he'll be fine. ”

Anyway...... She couldn't help much.

Early the next morning, Ed prepares to leave for Visa to visit Quirin Ayir.

"I've heard that human-looking guy didn't speak to you at all when the dead king was about to take you to the sword. Tess pursed her lips in contempt.

"He has to protect the city of Visa, protect his territory...... Of course, it was impossible to disobey the king's orders. Ed calmly defended Quillin, "If I want to solve the problem with the Temple of Collins, I'll need his help anyway." ”

"Oh, now you sound like a 'bad priest' again. Tess grumbled dissatisfiedly, "Let him go away! I want that stupid Ed back! He's so much cuter!"

"Tess ......" The elf reluctantly stopped her from babbling, and got a huge roll of the eyes of Tess.

"Which way are you going to go?" Naria asked Ed, "It will take days to get out of the forest and around the plains......

She stopped suddenly, blushing slightly.

"Oh, I forgot you could teleport yourself over. She said.

"I'll probably be back in a few days. Ed smiled at her, "If there's anything I need here, I can bring it back." ”

The misty plains of Collins have made it almost an island, and while most of what they need can be obtained from Karnak Village and the surrounding forests and mountains, they will occasionally have to buy something from Visa.

"There are already businessmen who come and go on a regular basis. Naria told him, "You just have to bring yourself back well." ”

Ed seemed stunned for a moment, but quickly nodded vigorously.

Naria watched him disappear into the sunlight before returning to the kitchen in a daze. But there was nothing she could do there - the food they had prepared yesterday was enough for everyone in the castle to eat for another day.

She ran to the yard to water the roses that Vala had left behind, only to find that they had been well cared for.

She was idle for a moment, and then wandered around for a while, her mind cluttered like she had stuffed too much stuff and like she had nothing.

It was close to noon when she ran into Patty, and the housekeeper looked a little distraught.

"Did something happen?" she asked.

“…… I guess it's fine. Patty hesitated for a moment before telling him, "The young master probably forgot." I had prepared a gift for him for Master Ayir, but I went to clean up his room and found that he had left it ...... in his suitcase. ”

Naria frowned in confusion - the suitcase? Why did he stuff the gift into the suitcase? It wasn't like "forgot", it just didn't want to bring it!

- But he's already going to visit Quillin, so why doesn't he even want to bring a gift?

A strong sense of uneasiness welled up in my heart. Naria stood there stunned, thinking back to the time Ed had left. He had never lied to her, so she didn't have the slightest suspicion. His expression had always been calm and natural, except that he seemed to have a little bit of a ...... when he heard that there were merchants who came and went regularly Nervous?

There was a buzz in my head, and anger rushed up.

"Oh...... That bastard!" she cursed involuntarily.

Patty looked at her with some surprise and uneasiness, as if she realized something.

“…… He'll be back. Naria assured her, "Don't worry, it's fine. ”

She didn't think it would comfort Patty, but she couldn't think of anything else to say for a moment.

She managed to squeeze out a smile, nodded at Patty, and turned to rush out the door.

Halfway through, she almost knocked Akan down...... Or being knocked down by Akhan. Then the big man started running after her, and before long Tess joined in, shouting happily as she ran, "Did something happen, did something funny happen?"

"I'm going to kill that bastard!" Naria replied angrily, "Ed...... He had no intention of going to Visa at all!!".

Ed was actually planning to go to Visa, and Quillin Ayer needed to pay a visit - but not now.

Now, he had more important things to do.

He scratched at his mist-soaked hair, feeling it rush into his head, blurring everything. The unspeakable panic and tiny droplets of water took away the temperature of the body little by little, and the fingertips began to feel cold...... But his steps remained slow but firm.

He can find his way.

What disturbed him more than the fog around him was that he lied to Naria...... He lied to Patty, to his friends, even though he was convinced that it was the better option.

It's really just a frivolous, petty lie, and they'll forgive him - no, they probably won't even find out.

He kept comforting himself like this, but his internal organs were still uncomfortably tangled.

The mist trembled, swirling and floating around him, and the white expanse around him made him feel like he was back in a dream...... And it wasn't a pleasant dream.

He remembered it very well, in a dream...... In the end, he was the only one left. (To be continued......)