Capítulo 9: Remember, You're Mine... So You Can't Leave Me
On the second day, after telling Rhys about the situation, Rhys looked at Ilodyer with a mournful expression and Ilodyer sat alone on a tree, sulking.
The warm breeze blew, tempting one to take a nap.
Ilodyer eyes wanted to close, but...
"Is it time to sleep now?" Ilodyer pinched his own face.
Whether it's knowledge or ability, there's simply an insurmountable gap between myself and The Elven King, and no basis for comparison whatsoever.
Comparing looks or height, magic or physical strength...
"I refuse to believe that I, someone from the 21st century, would lose to an ancient person!" Ilodyer pouted and jumped down from the tree, full of indignation.
Ten days later, Rhys smiled as he looked at the disheartened Ilodyer.
"It seems like the results of your efforts weren't ideal."
"Hmph," Ilodyer pursed his lips, "There were no results at all. Rhys, can you think of a solution for me? Does His Majesty have any weaknesses?"
"His only weakness is probably you, other than that, there's nothing else." Rhys thought for a moment before telling Ilodyer.
Ilodyer sighed.
In these ten days, he had tried everything from chess and Go to flying chess and Gomoku. But as soon as he told The Elven King the rules, The Elven King didn't even need to practice; he won effortlessly.
"Forget it, I'll think about it when I go back," Ilodyer waved his hand helplessly and bid farewell to Rhys.
Is it really impossible to leave Evergreen Glade Forest without The Elven King permission?
"Have you been sleeping with Father lately?" The Elven King chuckled as he looked at Ilodyer lying on the bed, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
"Um..." Ilodyer responded and looked at The Elven King.
What was my expertise before?
Murder?
Or maybe... gardening?
"Do you want to compare gardening with me?" Ilodyer suddenly sat up.
"Gardening?" The Elven King blinked his eyes and laughed.
He gently placed his finger on a flower bud by the bedside, and the bud trembled slightly, then bloomed into a beautiful flower in the next second.
Seeing Ilodyer dejected expression, The Elven King pulled him into an embrace. "How about it? Had enough? Do you still want to compete?"
"Your Majesty..." Ilodyer reached out and encircled The Elven King neck.
"Why don't you let me go outside? Your Majesty must have a reason beyond safety concerns. If it's just about my safety, you could have let Rhys protect me. What kind of reason makes you so determined?"
"Does my child really want to leave his father so much?" The Elven King voice held a hint of sadness.
Ilodyer shook his head. "Not really. I just want a few days to visit... Mother."
The Elven King didn't say anything. There were complex emotions swirling in his green eyes, which Ilodyer couldn't understand or see.
"I know human lives are short, so I just want to see her... I'm afraid time will pass too quickly, and I won't have the chance to say goodbye." Ilodyer lowered his head.
Even with his memories from the past, a mother was still a mother.
Separated from the one who gave him life, he wanted to see her face again, even if only for a moment.
The Elven King kissed Ilodyer long black hair and paused by his temple. "If... you promise me that you'll only watch her from a distance and won't approach her, then I can agree."
"Really?" Ilodyer raised his head with joy, looking at The Elven King.
"Yes," The Elven King nodded, "but remember, you're mine... so you can't leave me."
Ilodyer obediently nodded. "Why would I leave you? You're my father."
"Perhaps I... don't want things to remain this way." The Elven King softly sighed words didn't reach Ilodyer ears.
When someone is too happy, they often fail to notice the complexities around them.
...
"Okay... apples, handkerchiefs, comb... Rhys, give me my bag back!"
"You're not going on a field trip; why bring all these?" Rhys grumpily tossed the bag out of the window.
"Go quickly and come back quickly, don't bring trouble, got it?"
"Rhys, are you not coming with me?" Ilodyer asked in confusion.
Rhys shook his head. "I'm going to establish a connection here. Once things are done, return to the entrance of the passage. I'll be waiting for you there, understand?"
"Okay..." Ilodyer nodded, "I'll be back."
This passage, once traversed, led to another world. It's like a thin sheet of paper, and the feeling of entering it is akin to the moment of entering water.
Even if there's a slight discomfort, it's close to zero, negligible.
"It truly feels like being reborn as a human..." Ilodyer took a deep breath, having developed a sensitive perception of the differences in the air after becoming an elf.
Though the air here doesn't compare to the fresh air of the Evergreen Glade Forest, it's the genuine flavor of the mortal world.
Ilodyer stretched lazily, memorizing the location of the passage and leaving a marker on a nearby tree.
After tidying up his clothes and looking around, he stood on a narrow sandy shore, facing a large lake.
Though it had just escaped the grasp of severe winter, the lake surface was still covered in layers of wrinkled black ice, with cracks and holes scattered throughout. But it wouldn't take much time for it to melt away completely.
However, the chilly air and the terrifying taste of winter still lingered, spreading around the surroundings.
On the other side of the lake was a bright and open grassland, and green shoots were gradually emerging from the black soil, interspersed with traces of remaining snow.
Based on his childhood memories, his home should be on the opposite side of the lake. Ilodyer leaped onto the thin ice, his black hair forming an elegant arc in the air.
The sky remained beautiful and clear. Was that woman as captivating as before?
When Ilodyer walked through the light snow, he left no footprints. In his memory, there were no other houses around his birthplace. Beside the once lonely cottage, several small wooden houses had sprung up, forming a courtyard enclosed by mud and wood.
Ilodyer stood at a distance, quietly observing. He had promised The Elven King not to converse with her.
After a while, the courtyard gate opened, and two children emerged. They were around three or four years old, with eyes as pure and blue as the sky. Holding hands, they stepped onto the grassy field.
A woman followed them, attentively looking after them—clearly, these were her twin children.
The woman remained as beautiful as before, her gentle smile devoid of sadness or melancholy, radiating a bright and pure sense of happiness.
Ilodyer watched silently.
For Ilodyer and the woman, this was the best outcome.
The woman eldest child, "Elyndor," had already left and would never return.
Ilodyer, too, wasn't a child in genuine need of a mother.
When neither party needed the other, parting became a natural course.
Perhaps there was yearning, perhaps a lingering feeling, but the once codependent fate had long dissolved.
Ilodyer observed her playing with the children on the grass until the sun set.
He didn't think of anything, just watched quietly, and then left silently.
He didn't want to witness his mother sorrow and sadness due to his departure.
Yet, when he saw her forming a new family, he felt a faint bitterness of being forgotten.
This was the best ending, but he couldn't view it with the best mindset.
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