Published: March 21, 2026
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We couldn't stay in the square forever, so we entered what looked like an elf castle... or rather, a structure built beside the Sacred Tree. It wasn't so much a building as a set of trees grown vertically and horizontally and used as rooms — branches intertwined until they formed something like a castle. Hard to describe.
It would be awful when it rains, but apparently the ruling line has inherited a technique to control the Elf territory's weather. I'd love to learn that — I hate damp, rainy days more than anything.
"Now then, you're trespassers, but do you have any excuse?"
The king sat at the head of the long table with his fingers steepled, staring at us, while Kirika glared beside him.
"More importantly, I want to know why your sister is over there."
Even if he was her father, he had used the king to drive his own daughter out. It wasn't exactly rebellion, but it deserved punishment. When I said that, the king narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly.
"I've already punished Kirika. And perhaps because my vassals haven't seen war in a long time, they've become rather soft. This will be a good lesson. The charm will wear off by tomorrow, so there's no problem."
That was awfully lenient for a ruler.
As I opened my mouth to object, an unexpected veto came from another direction.
"Akira, it's fine already."
"Amelia."
Amelia grabbed my arm and gently shook her head.
"This is the usual. I'm an outcast. I was never meant to be loved by my parents."
"What?"
I felt my voice stiffen without realizing it.
Kirika sneered with a vicious smile; the king remained expressionless. Amelia looked down and began to speak.
"Kirika and I are twins. Twins are considered bad in this world. One or both of them inevitably bring calamity when they're born."
Ridiculous superstition — they didn't choose how they were born. I silently lifted an eyebrow.
"Usually their hair or eyes are completely different from their parents'. As you can see, Kirika takes after Father with blonde hair and blue eyes. But I'm white-haired with red eyes — nothing like Mother. By rights, I should have been killed at birth. Father kept me alive. Even though I'm an outcast, he kept me alive despite what other elves said. For that, I'm grateful."
The king watched her with no expression. There was no color in his eyes at all. His mask as king was thick.
Even if Amelia were an outcast and supposedly brought calamity, wouldn't a father want to keep his child alive? From what I could see, the king did love Amelia. In fact, he seemed to dote on her.
If he truly didn't love her, would he have rushed out when he heard she had returned? Would he have shown anger when Kirika almost killed her? Would he have apologized?
I couldn't understand Amelia's thinking. Not because I'm stupid, but because our ways of life and thought are probably different. And Amelia has memorized too many bad things.
"Hey, Amelia. You know what personality of mine you hate, right?"
I said it without preamble. Amelia hesitated, then nodded. In the labyrinth once, I told her I disliked "perfect people."
"I think you said you hate 'perfect people.' So? What's your point?"
I shifted my gaze to Kirika and the king.
"You call her perfect, but I don't see that. She's full of flaws."
"What did you say!?"
Kirika shrieked hysterically. See? Full of flaws — in personality.
"And you said you aren't loved by your parents, but the opposite seems true: they're doting, they adore you. So I don't understand how you could conclude your parents hate you."
"You're overstepping."
The king, who'd been listening quietly until then, suddenly had a vein stand out on his forehead and said that. Ooh, scary.
"I don't know all the circumstances, but that's what I think. Judging by how you evaluate your sister, I can't trust your eyes. Will you not even believe me?"
The elf I had taken as a hostage — whose name I'd forgotten — had clearly been terrified of Amelia. Terrified to the extent of "kill or be killed." The other elves, too — they were radiating real killing intent.