The words spoken by the wind spirit were not easy to believe.

“What? The master has returned…?”

She was certain it was a lie.

She had drifted through the last five empty years, convinced that he wouldn’t return—that it was impossible for it to be true.

He had left. He abandoned her and everyone else who remained in the guild.

And yet now, they say he has come back…that he wants to return to his place?

Elena couldn’t believe it.

He had disappeared.

There was no trace of him, no way to know his location or even if he was alive.

She couldn’t find him.

Not even if she were to look at a wanted poster with his image on it would she believe it easily.

Even if his vision were to appear before her once again, Elena wouldn’t see it as her master.

He was gone. He left her behind.

He vanished and abandoned her side.

That dreadful truth was the only result the world had handed to her.

No matter how much she denied it, struggled, or tried to convince herself otherwise, it was a fate she had to accept.

Or was there some kind of misunderstanding?

The Elf Queen shook her head.

Her murky eyes no longer appeared clear.

No one could remember whether they had once been a fresh, minty green or a deep, blood-stained red.

No one except Elena, perhaps…

Only one person might remember…

---

Elena stepped outside the palace.

With an enigmatic expression, she gazed beyond the forest, towards a small and insignificant village.

Through her heightened vision, she scanned the forest, the sky, and the clouds drifting across the world, using them as her eyes.

Could this be a place where the master could find peace?

Was it a beneficial and desirable place for him? She only glanced to see if it was suitable.

It was certainly not to indulge in any improper feelings toward her master or to reveal her audacious desires for him.

She caught his scent carried by the natural surroundings.

*Sss... Haaa... Sss... Haaa...*

Her breathing grew heavy.

She filtered the air around her, focusing solely on the breath he had exhaled, the faint dust that clung to his clothes,

the breaths he had taken and released.

Elena soothed her loneliness with his scent.

Her lips quivered as if about to burst, yet

she couldn’t bear to see anyone else desire what belonged to her master.

Not even a single particle of air would she yield, and with resolute steps, she walked toward the shabby village, glaring at the trees that brushed past her.

Worried she might suffocate, the four elemental spirits offered her their breath, which she brushed away.

Undeterred, she breathed in and out with each breath her master took,

determined to fill herself with his essence, down to the marrow.

---

It was just after she arrived at the village.

The poverty-stricken scene greeted her.

The windmill creaked and strained, failing to perform its task.

Tattered cloth that had long since needed replacing fluttered, barely holding on. In less than three months, the village’s essentials would be unusable.

The roofs were partially torn away by past storms.

If there was anything remotely accommodating, it would perhaps be the inn.

Yet even the inn’s condition wasn’t much different.

It was only a matter of how long it would last.

The well looked dirty, covered with mud and grime.

There was no point in discussing the quality of food—it was barely better than the drinking water.

Elena clicked her tongue bitterly.

“Here… my master is living here?”

Her heart felt like it was about to break.

He was someone who should reside above, dignified and noble, reigning over the heavens.

Ever since she commanded the great spirits, the gap between her and Keyal had become starkly defined.

Power was but a mere trick she exercised for him; she could never consider herself equal, much less superior, to her half-demon master.

He was special.

He was magnificent.

He was sacred.

She possessed both strength and wisdom beyond anyone else.

But she had never once sought to surpass Keyal.

She never harbored even a hint of ambition to elevate herself beyond his standing.

She was a lowly servant,

a mere slave, an obedient tool who knew it was absurd to consider standing on the same level as her master.

If he commanded her to bow, she would kneel.

If he ordered her to lick, she would drench him in her devotion.

If he asked her to open herself, she would willingly bare even her most private self.

No matter how degraded she appeared, as long as her master was satisfied, she would gladly express her joy with her entire being.

And today, she came to this simple, humble land to prove her docility once more, to demonstrate her worth and value.

She entered a narrow shop, ignoring the stares drawn to her, and opened her cold, focused eyes.

“...If you don’t want to die, please leave. This is a sacred place for me and my master alone.”

The long journey had finally come to an end.

The time to meet him had arrived.

She prepared for the ritual; no other guests were necessary.

Once he gave his permission, this place would truly become a shrine for their union.

---

No one would be forgiven for interrupting her reunion with her master.

Not even the servant crouched on the floor with hands wrapped around his head,

nor a child too young to understand the world—no one was exempt.

“This meeting between me and my master… anyone who disrupts it will die…”

She calmed her tangled emotions.

If he rejected her again…if he turned her away, right to her face…?

She didn’t know if she could continue living.

Surely, she wouldn’t be able to resist hanging herself.

“No… I… I…”

She was the Elf Queen. She had claimed the throne to prove her value to him.

If she reminded him of her worth and her loyalty as his tool, everything would be resolved.

She wanted him to need her.

It didn’t matter if he treated her roughly, if he damaged and broke her, as long as he acknowledged her.

As long as he saw her and found her useful, she feared nothing.

Only the thought of being discarded by him terrified her.

Her heart felt heavy… her head dizzy.

But still, she had to be patient.

Let go of complacent thoughts, she told herself.

If he was the gentle master she knew, he would never abandon her again if she showed him her true self.

She loved him. Even if that happiness wasn’t her right, she would stay by his side, gladly watching over him like a loyal dog, licking his heels.

That would be enough.

Yes… that would be enough.

---

She steadied herself.

Simultaneously, she prepared her appearance.

Before his arrival, she cleared the dark circles under her eyes, treated her wounds, neatly arranged her hair, and adjusted her clothes.

She couldn’t allow him to see her in a less-than-perfect state.

Not even a hint of imperfection could be shown to him. No, she wouldn’t allow it.

Until his dark aura arrived at the shop, until the bell rang to welcome him, everything had to be in order.

She removed any trace of blood or medicine, banishing the stale smell.

She concealed every sign of herself except for him and the servant.

Though she wished she could have overhauled every part of the space, there was no time now.

She needed to be just as he desired.

*Jingle*

As soon as the bell rang, the elf hid herself.

Not because she wasn’t prepared but purely to savor him a little longer.

The figure emitting dark miasma appeared.

At the sight of him, her chest began to ache with a piercing, overwhelming sensation.

How much she had longed to see him.

How many nights she had spent yearning for him.

The tall, handsome man before her was undeniably her master, Keyal Klein.

The elf, Elena, descended gracefully to the floor.

Even though she had tidied up beforehand, the dust-covered floor seemed to make him cautious as he walked toward her.

“Ah…ah… Master…”

My beloved master…

How long had she searched for him? Inhaling his dense miasma, she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

For the first time in what felt like forever, her heart, which had long since dried up, began to beat.

He hadn’t denied her the right to feel sorrow…or joy…

---

“Elena…?”

“Please… don’t go anywhere anymore… I… *sob*… I’ll protect you… Master…”

Her faded appearance brightened as if polished to a shine.

The cold nights spent in tears were over; she no longer needed salvation.

Because her true salvation was right before her.

Elena had regained her light.

When he embraced her, she knew that light would never fade again.

“I won’t ever let you go… not again…”