The gift Alvenheim gave me was truly satisfying. The packaging was impeccable, and the contents—there was no need to say more.

Although an accident occurred while receiving the gift, leading to a dangerous moment, it was resolved well.

On the contrary, because of that incident, Arwen’s hidden desires were awakened, and we shared a far more passionate first night than I anticipated.

How satisfied and excited was I, you ask? Enough that it reminded me of my first night with Mary.

However, due to the overwhelming difference in physical strength and stamina between us, I ended up taking the lead almost unilaterally.

Arwen fainted at the slightest chance, and even when I woke her up, she would faint again mid-act, making it difficult to keep in sync.

Arwen understood this well and literally begged me to treat her as a “gift,” saying her pride wouldn’t allow her to be the only one satisfied.

Thanks to that, we were able to have a night where we both found complete satisfaction.

"Then, does this mean I’m now treated as the national treasure?"

The next day arrived after our “activities” stretched into the early dawn. Although it was technically the next day, we spent the entire morning asleep.

Even the afternoon wasn’t much different. The aftermath of our first night left Arwen dozing off constantly.

She couldn’t even get out of bed, so it seemed we would enjoy a holiday for a while.

"If you wish, you can decide. After all, I was a gift to you. In fact, it makes you higher than me, the queen."
"That much, huh?"
"I gave you Alvenheim itself. Isn’t it only natural? Or do you want to be treated as a national treasure?"

Arwen, still lying in bed, looked at me with sparkling silver-gray eyes filled with subtle hope. It seemed like a personal wish.

"Hmm… To be honest, I’m fine. Not having a proper wedding ceremony is a flaw, but I think everyone will overlook it."
"R-Really?! Then right away—!"
"But do you think others will let it slide? Especially Cecily—she’d charge at us with her eyes blazing."

The joy on Arwen’s face faded the moment I mentioned Cecily.

For Arwen, Cecily was both a personal and political rival.

The moment I was officially declared Alvenheim’s national treasure, Cecily could set off yet another explosive reaction.

"…I see. That’s unfortunate, but I can’t help it. This was just a personal wish, so pretend you didn’t hear it."
"Having such hopes after the first night is completely natural."
"Hmm…"

As I gently rubbed her long ears in comfort, Arwen let out a pleased sound, similar to a kitten purring.

Lying in bed like this, I truly felt like a newlywed couple. I wondered when Arwen would be able to get up again.

Meals weren’t an issue, as the attendants brought them directly, but bathing presented a challenge.

It might have been because she was the queen of Alvenheim or due to the elves’ old-fashioned traditions, but the distance between the bedroom and the bath was ridiculous.

When I asked why they had arranged it that way, they said the water in the bathroom was connected to the Spring of Life.

It was the same sacred spring I bathed in just before our first night. Typical elves, clinging stubbornly to tradition.

‘Carrying her was so embarrassing.’

That’s why I had to carry Arwen directly to the bath. It wasn’t something the attendants could do, so I was the only one capable.

The looks the Elodia attendants gave me as I carried her came to mind. As I mentioned earlier, this whole "gift" situation wasn’t instigated by Arwen but was Alvenheim’s own initiative.

Arwen’s inability to walk was clear proof of our first night, and by extension, that I had received their gift.

For them, it was a cause for celebration, but being the recipient of those stares left me feeling a little embarrassed.

"Hmm…"

Meanwhile, Arwen let out another cute sound as I played with her ears.

Just like the horns of demons, an elf’s ears are something only fully trusted partners can touch.

Moreover, since they’re such sensitive weak points, even small touches can provide immense satisfaction.

"Arwen."
"Mm… What is it?"
"What happens to you now?"

The elves had essentially presented Arwen, the symbol of Alvenheim, to me. In short, she belonged to me.

Of course, I would never actually treat her as a servant. The fact that we were joined was more than enough.

Still, I was curious about what her future would hold. Would her life become simpler now, or more complicated?

"Now that I’ve been joined with you, I will probably be declared ‘Zenon’s woman.’ That alone will make things easier, not harder."
"What about the demonic worshippers? They might still threaten you."
"Hah. Do you think I’d lose to those mere worshippers?"

True, Arwen might have poor physical stamina, but her magical prowess was nothing short of exceptional.

She could teleport with a snap of her fingers and pull objects out of thin air—who could possibly harm her?

Besides, with a reliable dark elf guard at her side, there wasn’t any immediate threat.

I looked at Arwen, confident as ever, and suddenly smiled mischievously.

"You still lost to me, though."
"T-That’s…! That’s completely different!"

Arwen flailed as she shouted in embarrassment, but her lower body wasn’t working properly, so only her upper body squirmed.

In truth, Arwen’s physical stamina was on the low side. Even if elves were chosen by the gods, their physical abilities weren’t far beyond that of humans.

Of course, their exceptional mana and magic skills made up for that.

Arwen was no different. If she had been a warrior, it might have been another story, but as a mage, her stamina was predictably low.

Thanks to that, I lost count of how many times she fainted on our first night. She woke up every time, but her repeated fainting was admittedly a bit troublesome.

Oh, but only “troublesome”—not unpleasant.

"Still, don’t you think you should build up your stamina?"
"Hmph. I’d rather read a book than train my body."

Classic mage thinking. I smiled as Arwen pouted, her flushed face still lovely.

I had no intention of nagging her about stamina. She had her routines, and it wasn’t my place to interfere.

More importantly, I should be worrying about myself. I was the one who needed to build stamina, and I was also the number one target for the demonic worshippers.

I gently rubbed Arwen's ear and turned my gaze to the side. Resting on the pillow she was using was a golden seed.

It was presumed to be the World Tree's Seed, as everyone knew. For now, I decided to entrust it to Arwen.

I wasn’t returning to my territory immediately, nor had I decided on anyone to manage it properly yet.

“Hirt really knows how to put people in a bind.”

Still, it was proof of the goodwill she had shown me, so I didn’t feel bad about it.

Receiving a blessing from the goddess of nature, a being at the rank of a creator god—who could possibly complain?

If anything, it was a wise measure to mediate the disputes between Luminous and Mora that still lingered.

“Wait… there was something I wanted to ask her. What was it again?”

I tilted my head, staring at the golden seed.

There had been a question I wanted to ask Arwen, but I couldn’t remember it at all.

If I couldn’t recall it, then it probably wasn’t that important.

If it had been truly significant, I would have written it down in my notebook.

With my personality, anything interesting or serious would have been immediately recorded.

“I’ll think about it later.”

What mattered now was how long this moment would last. I looked down at Arwen, who was lying there enjoying the ear massage.

Even though she had pulled the blanket up to her neck, she was currently completely naked.

I had suggested she wear something light to avoid catching a cold, but she had insisted that elves didn’t catch colds.

She wasn’t wrong, and knowing what she wanted, I had simply let her be.

"Arwen."
"Mm?"
"When do you think I should go back?"

With Mary, Cecily, and Adelia, I could spend more time since it was during vacation.

But this time, I had left during the school term, so it was hard to decide how long I could stay here.

Of course, even when I returned, I wouldn’t immediately resume my assistant position. I would likely begin training under my father.

So I asked first—when should I go back?

Arwen seemed to understand my question as she pondered deeply, then peeked her head out.

Her silver-gray eyes reflected a mixture of longing and subtle anticipation.

"If it were up to me, I’d want you to stay here forever. I’d wake up every morning to see your face, and every night, I’d kiss you and share love with you."
"… …"
"But that’s just selfish. More importantly, I know I’m not the only one by your side. And as queen, I must attend to my duties. So…"

Arwen hesitated for a moment before speaking her true desire.

"Can I be just a little selfish?"
"How much?"
"One week. One week will be enough. Anything more would be greedy."

One week… I had honestly expected her to ask for a month, so it was shorter than I anticipated.

Whether she rarely allowed herself indulgence or simply exercised restraint, I wasn’t sure. It just felt a little pitiful.

After a week, she would have to resume her duties as the queen of Alvenheim. I stroked her hair gently, not her ears, and spoke.

"Is one week really enough? Are you sure?"
"You’re busy too. But… can you promise to visit often after that?"
"Can’t you just contact me whenever you want to see me?"
"I’ll end up doing it every day, though."

The sight of her bashfully poking her face out was so adorable that I couldn’t help but smile.

I pinched or caressed her soft cheeks as a way of showing affection.

"Alright. Then until that time—"
"Ahem."

Before I could finish, Arwen cleared her throat, her pale skin turning a bright red.

Of course, given the aftermath of the previous night, we couldn’t do anything today. Doing anything else now wouldn’t be considerate—it would just be indulging desires.

That might change later. Arwen blushed even more deeply and whispered quietly.

"Just so I know… were the other women like this too?"
"Mary was similar to you. Cecily and Adelia are both physically stronger, though."
"I see… Still, I have no intention of building up my stamina."
"Doesn’t that just mean you hate exercising?"
"I’m not weak. I think it’s just that you’re abnormally strong. Didn’t you receive Hirt’s blessing yesterday, too?"
"Is that so?"

True, I already had a significant amount of divine power, and receiving Hirt’s blessing might have made me even stronger.

"Either way, I’ll make sure this week becomes a time you’ll remember forever."
"For me, yesterday is already unforgettable."
"I’ll create memories even greater than that."

At that moment, I had no idea.

"Can you call Siris for a moment?"
"Siris? Why him?"
"There’s something I left with him."

I glanced at the World Tree’s seed sitting at the head of the bed. I still had no idea how it would affect us.

"I brought the draft of Zenon’s Biography, Volume 27 so you wouldn’t sneak a look."
"W-What?! Is that true…? No, wait. Why would you think I’d sneak a look?!"
"Because you’ve done it before?"
"Ugh…"

Nor did I know what changes Hirt’s blessing would bring.

"By the way, how will you make the announcement? Will you say that we’ve been joined?"
"No. I’ll leave room for interpretation. Otherwise, you might end up in trouble. People who need to know will already understand."
"I wonder how Cecily will react."
"Oh, don’t worry about that. I already met her and resolved things."

Nor did I know how much potential a half-elf held.

"Huh? What do you mean? When did you meet her?"
"Ah, that’s…"
"Wait… don’t tell me Cecily was the one who told you all those things yesterday?"
"… …"

At the time, I had absolutely no idea.