Seeing Julius at the entrance, Leona's faint smile vanished completely. She let out a quiet sigh and straightened herself, the warmth on her face replaced by her usual composure.

Without saying a word to Nyx, she walked over to where Julius stood, his eyes fixed on the sight before them—Luca surrounded by the elves, laughter echoing all around.

He noticed that even the older elves were giggling and whispering among themselves, clearly tempted to join the younger ones in showering the hero with affection.

Julius's jaw tightened as he watched the scene unfold, his expression darkening with disdain.

"It seems..." He said at last, his tone dripping with contempt. "...that the Hero is quite popular with the women of the village." His eyes narrowed slightly. "They're practically throwing themselves at him."

"Yes." Leona said evenly. "After all, he did save everyone—"

"How unsightly."

Julius interrupted sharply, his voice carrying the weight of disgust.

Leona paused, frowning slightly as Julius went on, his tone growing colder with every word.

"Elves are supposed to be regal, dignified, noble creatures. We are meant to carry ourselves with poise and restraint—and yet look at them!"

"Laughing like fools, acting like wildlings over someone. A human, no less!"

His lip curled as he glanced at Leona.

"And our matriarch is standing here, saying nothing about it. I must say, the village has truly fallen into disgrace since I left. A matriarch who allows this kind of behavior…"

Leona clenched her fists, keeping her voice steady.

"They're simply happy, Julius. After everything that's happened, they deserve this moment. They're celebrating life returning to the village again."

He looked at her, unimpressed.

"Celebration or not, this is degradation." He spat. "You've allowed the dignity of our people to crumble."

But before she could answer, Julius waved a dismissive hand.

"Anyway, that's not why I came here."

His tone softened slightly—but only just.

"There's something I need to discuss with you. Privately."

Leona's stomach twisted. She didn't reply right away.

Whenever Julius requested 'private' talks, it was never good. It always ended with her agreeing to things she despised—things that made her feel horrible and left her silent for days.

But she had no choice.

She gave a small nod and stepped forward to follow him.

But just as Julius turned to lead her away, a sudden, cheerful voice interrupted.

"What about me, brother-in-law?"

Both of them turned to see Nyx approaching with a bright, exaggerated smile, her tone almost sing-song.

"Can I come too?" She asked innocently. "Every time you and my dear sister go off to have one of your secret little talks, I'm left behind. I'm starting to feel so left out, you know?"

She walked closer, still smiling sweetly—a little too sweetly.

"Come on now, please. You always say, 'Nyx, you're sneaky,' or 'Nyx, stop eavesdropping.' But this time, I'll behave. Promise."

Julius turned, plastering a thin, polite smile on his face.

"Ah, Nyx." He said gently. "I'd love to have you join us, truly. But I'm afraid this matter is for our ears only—husband and wife matters, you see."

His voice was honeyed, but his eyes were sharp.

"But I promise, after this is over, we'll go out together and get drunk like we always do."

"How does that sound?"

For a moment, Nyx's smile faltered—her eyes flashed with something cold and wary. But she quickly hid it behind another playful grin.

"Of course, brother-in-law." She said cheerfully. "I'll be waiting right here then. But don't take too long—I've got the good mead ready, and I'd hate for it to go to waste."

Julius smirked faintly and nodded before turning away. The second his back was turned, however, the smile fell from his face.

A deep frown replaced it as he made his way toward the stairs leading down the great tree.

Leona followed silently behind him.

As they descended, the elves nearby turned to watch. Some whispered behind their hands, unable to help themselves.

"Look, there she goes again." One muttered quietly. "The matriarch, following after him."

"Even after everything, she still goes to him? Has she fallen for him that much?" Another murmured.

"I know she's allowed to love, but still isn't this too much "

Leona heard every word. Her fists tightened, but she didn't say a thing. She just kept walking, her face calm and her steps steady, even though each word cut deeper than the last.

They moved deeper into the forest, away from the laughter of the village and into the quiet hush of the trees. The sun was beginning to sink, painting the forest in hues of orange and gold.

Once they reached a small clearing, Julius stopped. He looked around carefully, his eyes scanning the area. Then, muttering under his breath, he began to trace symbols in the air.

A faint hum filled the air as glowing blue light formed a circle around them—a shimmering barrier that stretched high above their heads, enclosing the space in silence.

It shimmered faintly like rippling water, pulsing with energy.

Leona recognized it immediately. A soundproof barrier.

He'd saved up mana for days to make one that strong—whatever he wanted to say, he didn't want anyone else to hear it.

Julius took a slow breath, looking toward the fading sun through the canopy before turning back to her.

"Tell me." He said finally, his voice calm but sharp. "What do you think of the Hero?"

Leona blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb." Julius said, folding his arms. "I want your honest opinion. About him."

Leona hesitated. Her fingers fidgeted slightly, a rare show of unease.

"You...want me to be honest?"

"Completely." Julius said flatly.

She was silent for a long moment. Then she nodded slowly.

"At first...I didn't like him." She began quietly. "Not at all."

Julius said nothing, his face unreadable.

"He's human." She continued, her tone low. "And humans have brought us nothing but pain—centuries of war, greed, slaughter. And when I first saw him carrying our daughter on his back, injured..."

"...all I could think of was killing him before he could harm anyone else."

"I was prejudiced. I won't deny that."

Her gaze dropped to the ground.

"But more than that, I was scared. Scared of what he could do to the village. Someone with that much power, someone so unpredictable—I thought he'd destroy everything."

Then, slowly, her expression became tender.

"But then...things began to change."

She looked up slightly, her voice gentler now.

"I started to see him differently. The way he spoke to the villagers—how he made them laugh, how easily they opened up to him. Even Lulu and Luna, who don't trust easily...they trust him completely."

"And that made me wonder if I'd misjudged him."

Julius watched silently, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Then there's his nature." Leona continued. "He's gentle. Honest. Even when he speaks bluntly, it's never out of cruelty—it's just how he is. And I find that…"

She hesitated, searching for the word.

"Endearing, in a way."

Her eyes grew distant, recalling his countless small acts.

"He helps without being asked. He tried to put out the fire at my mother's ascension, even though it was foolish—but it was still a kind act. He helped the girls cut down the tree despite how I treated him. And he never once held it against me."

She met Julius's eyes now, her voice firm but calm.

"He has no ego, Julius. None. Anyone else would've turned cold toward me after how I acted—but he didn't. He's patient, peaceful. He doesn't seek conflict unless he must."

Her voice softened again, almost wistful.

"And after seeing what he did today...all the effort he put into saving our people...the way he smiled when they recovered…"

She smiled faintly herself.

"It was genuine. He's not doing this for praise or power. He's doing it because he truly wants to help."

Her eyes shone faintly.

"And that was when I realized something. Yes, he's dangerous. He could destroy us all in a heartbeat if he wished. But I don't think he has such desires at all. He truly wants to help. And I think…"

She hesitated, her voice turning warm and full of hope.

"I think it's time I stopped being afraid. Stopped being prejudiced. And truly welcomed him into the village."

"Not just as guest or Hero from the Heavens."

"But...as one of us."

For a moment, she looked lighter—relieved, as if a great weight had lifted.

She felt as if everything made sense now and she could almost sense her mother smiling from the Heavens, telling her that she was on the right path.

But just as she feeling reborn with a new perspective on everything, Julius turned fully toward her.

"That's nice and all." He said coolly.

"But I personally think that we should kick him out of the village and banish him forever so that he never returns."

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