Chapter 136 - 38

The night in the Elven Kingdom was so quiet. The trees that fill almost the entire kingdom area make the environment more comfortable and peaceful. This situation was far different from other kingdoms where human voices could still be heard even in the middle of the night.

In a hall within the Royal Castle, the students and teachers were enjoying the banquet that was prepared for them. Since the students didn't bring formal clothes for the event, they were forced to wear their academy uniforms. Only the teachers wore formal attire and dresses. They could have it because the Elven Kingdom provided it for them. Kalya was the center of attention at tonight's banquet. She was wearing a long white dress which made her look much more beautiful and elegant.

Inside the banquet hall, Ziel chose to sit in a corner while enjoying his food. The Princesses and heroes made their circle at the banquet. Clara as usual with Princess Iris, Princess Freya, and Lilith. She asked Ziel to join them before but he refused. Ziel would stand out if he was surrounded by four beautiful girls in that place. Clara couldn't help but sigh in disappointment hearing Ziel's refusal.

The current host, the Elf Queen, and her daughter were still not present. This made the students hungry after waiting for them for so long. But in the end, they were allowed to eat first while waiting for the arrival of the Elf Queen.

"Queen of the Elven Kingdom, her highness Queen Jasmine and Princess Siera enter the hall!" One of the soldiers shouted welcoming Queen Jasmine and her daughter into the banquet hall.

Ziel glanced at the two people who had just entered. When the other students greeted the two of them, Ziel just sat in a corner and didn't move from there. Apart from him, another student who did the same was Lilith.

"I apologize for my delay Mr. Merlick, King Gustave." Queen jasmine walked gracefully to where Merlick and King Gustave were enjoying their dinner. Her sweet voice mesmerized everyone in the hall. She just smiled and passed the crowd of people who greeted her.

"You don't have to worry about that. We thank you for allowing us to stay here for a while until the magic train that will pick us up arrives. Is this your daughter?" Merlick looked at the shoulder-length green-haired elf girl next to her. She resembled Queen jasmine, only looking less mature.

"That's right. Introduce yourself to Mr. Merlick and King Gustave." Queen Jasmine nodded and urged the girl.

"My name is Siera Venetia. I am honored to be your acquaintance Mr. Merlick, King Gustave." The elf girl introduced herself while pinching the hem of her dress. The manners she showed were very delicate and well-trained. She is Siera Venetia, the only daughter of Queen Jasmine, and is rumored to be the future Queen.

"Haha...You don't have to be so polite to me. You're just as beautiful as your mother. No, you're even prettier." Merlick laughed happily. He hasn't seen Jasmine in a long time. Merlick thought her character would change once she became Queen, but that turned out to be his only concern.

"You're right Merlick. You will be a much prettier girl than your mother and aunt." King Gustave smiled and nodded in agreement at Merlick's words.

"Thank you Uncle Merlick, Uncle Gustave!" Princess Siera smiled like a blooming flower in delight at the two compliments. But not the case with Queen Jasmine. When Kalya's name was brought up, she frowned. She looked around the hall and finally found Kalya who was being surrounded by teachers at the moment.

"Excuse me... Mr. Merlick, King Gustave. I'm going to leave you for a while to say hello to my little sister who I haven't seen in a long time." Queen Jasmine asked permission to leave after finding Kalya. The long-lost feeling of envy and jealousy resurfaced after seeing her.

"All right. You do have to say hello to her." Merlick nodded slightly. He knew the relationship between the two of them was not very harmonious. Merlick was one of the people who knew about the internal matters that had occurred in the Elven Kingdom.

"Yes, please." King Gustave replied curtly. He seemed disinterested in their relationship.

Queen Jasmine walked over to Kalya. The academy teachers who noticed Queen Jasmine coming towards them immediately greeted her and left Kalya to give the two of them some space to chat together.

"Long time no see, Leya." Queen Jasmine greets Kalya with a smile.

"Long time no see, sister." Kalya answered her curtly. She knew what her real sister was like. Kalya considered her greeting just a trite.

"You're so cold to me, Leya. Where have you been all this time? I keep looking for you. Don't you miss me and the people from the Elven Kingdom?" Queen Jasmine seemed to speak sincerely. She had a worried look on her face when she said that. If Kalya hadn't talked to Laurel earlier, she might have been fooled by her acting.

Kalya thought back to when she had a one-on-one conversation with Laurel right after they finished accompanying the female students to look around the building where they lived. She and Laurel went to a place where they could chat alone without anyone else listening. They chose one of the rooms in the middle building and covered the walls with a barrier to prevent others from peeking or eavesdropping. After Laurel prepared tea for the two of them and sat down in front of her, Kalya directly asked what she wanted to know.

"What happened after I left that time? Please tell me honestly." Kalya talks to Laurel seriously. She is her childhood friend and knows what Laurel's habit is when she lies.

"Okay. You don't have to be like that Princess. I'll tell you honestly without you asking." Laurel felt a little overwhelmed by Kalya's stare at her.

"Thank you. So can you please start answering my question?" Kalya wanted to know the situation in the Elf Kingdom after she left. She subconsciously thought back to the thing she thought she had left behind. She was still tied to her past.

"Not long after the incidents of the disappearance of the residents as well as the attack on the royal castle by the people of that race ended, you suddenly disappeared. The previous Queen said that you got bored in the Elven Kingdom and ran away. The Queen ordered the soldiers to look for you and bring you back here..." Laurel started to tell what happened after Kalya fled from the Elf Kingdom. But her words were cut off by Kalya's angry voice.

"Nonsense! I ran away not for that reason! Are they hiding the truth! The elven knights were also not sent to take me home, but captured me! They didn't even hesitate to use violence when they did it!" Kalya shouted after hearing Laurel's first explanation. She couldn't accept her mother making up such a lie.

"I know that, Princess. Just so you know that I was almost handed over to the people of that race as an experimental subject. But because they thought the Elven Kingdom would be greatly weakened if I wasn't around, so they put off their plans. If the elven kingdom suddenly collapses, people from that race will also be in trouble. I know all of that from your mother and Jasmine's conversation." Laurel smiled bitterly explaining this to Kalya. Currently, she doesn't use honorifics to address the two of them. At that time Laurel overheard the previous Queen's conversation with the current Queen, Jasmine Venetia. They intended to sacrifice Laurel because people from that race asked for another experimental subject. But in the end, they abandoned the idea because they thought Laurel still had value.

"They'll do that to you too!? They've gone too far! What happened after that?" Kalya urged Laurel to continue her story.

"They still ordered the soldiers to keep looking for you. When they had been looking for you for several years without getting any results, they finally stopped the order. I was also part of the soldiers who were looking for you back then. When I left the room after receiving your search stop order, I heard something that might hurt you..." Laurel glanced at Kalya and waited for her to give Laurel the approval to continue her explanation.

"Just say it." Kalya seriously listens to what Laurel has to say.

"The previous Queen told Jasmine that you were not her biological daughter. You were the king's daughter with another elf girl before he died. Your mother also died not long after giving birth to you. That's why the Queen adopted you as her child." Laurel explained it heavily to Kalya while keep observing her face. Kalya is shocked to hear that. Her body trembled and tears flowed from her eyes.

"Is what you said true? You're not lying to me are you?" Kalya looked at the index finger on Laurel's right hand. Laurel would bend her index finger when she was lying. But this time she didn't do that which meant she was telling the truth.

"That's what I heard with my ears, Princess. After that, the previous Queen never appeared to the public. She gave her throne to Jasmine." Laurel closed her explanation.

"No way... no way... She's not my biological mother? Why has she lied to me all this time... No wonder she had the heart to do that to me." Her tears spilled like a broken dam. Kalya was very sad when she thought about it. She was devastated by the fact that she was not the biological child of the person she had considered as her mother. No wonder the treatment she received was different from what Jasmine had received.

Kalya cried long enough to vent her emotions. Laurel hugged Kalya to calm her down. After crying for a long time, Kalya finally calmed down and wiped her tears.

"Thanks for telling me that. Otherwise, I will keep in the dark and not know the truth." Kalya smiled a little and hugged Laurel tightly.

"I'm glad you can feel that way, Princess. After all, we are childhood friends. So it's only natural that I help you, right? But I'm a little worried about the current situation. People from that race are still here, news of you returning to this place will surely reach him sooner or later. You must leave this place immediately. I will find a way for you to leave this kingdom safely." Laurel's face suddenly became gloomy after remembering that. He was too happy to meet kalya again and forget such an important thing. Laurel held Kalya's shoulder and said seriously.

"Ah, that... You don't have to worry about it. I have someone who will always protect me." Kalya smiled shyly. His sad face was replaced with a blushing face of a maiden in love.

"Hoo... So Princess Cattleya has found her love. But don't you know how strong the people of that race are? Even the entire Elven Kingdom can't stand against him." Laurel was originally surprised to hear Kalya's confession but she became worried about the man Kalya spoke of.

"Don't worry he can be relied on. I can guarantee that." Kalya nodded and said confidently. Laurel had never seen Kalya like that so she could only sigh and believe in her.

"It's fine if you believe in that person. But if you say he will always protect you, then he is in the group of people from the academy right? Is it one of the teachers?" Laurel smiled teasingly at her.

"No. He is a student." Kalya averted her gaze awkwardly. Her words made Laurel open her mouth wide.

"That... Isn't that inappropriate, Princess? Your age gap is too big anyway. I think you've been tricked by him." Laurel said honestly what was on her mind about Ziel but this made Kalya's face turn cold.

"I know this is inappropriate. But I already love him. Regarding the age difference, I don't think it's a problem. One thing you have to remember, I don't like you badmouthing him! Even though you're my childhood friend, I don't like what you say about him." Kalya said coldly to her. This once again stunned Laurel. Kalya had never spoken to her like this.

"Haa...well, I understand. I apologize. Does Miss Silphy know about this?" Laurel asked about Silphy's approval of their relationship.

"She knows and agrees to it." Kalya smiled and nodded.

"Then I have nothing more to say to you. But you must introduce him to me." Laurel couldn't help but accept it but she wanted to judge the man in person.

"That...is not currently possible. We are having a problem. I will resolve this matter as soon as possible and introduce him to you." Kalya's face becomes gloomy after remembering Ziel's sudden change.

"Don't forget your promise. You should introduce him to me. Well, how about you tell me more about the guy." Laurel becomes curious about a student who can steal Kalya's heart.

Kalya starts telling her about Ziel. When they first met, how did he look, what made Kalya love him, and many more. Kalya was very excited about it. Laurel could only shake her head at Kalya's behavior like a little girl.

"You should keep your relationship a secret for now. Be careful with Carkas and Jasmine. They may not only hurt you but those closest to you." Laurel seriously warned Kalya. She still had doubts about Ziel's abilities.

"I understand." Kalya nodded and answered briefly. Not long after that their conversation ended.

Back to the banquet in the hall of the Elven Kingdom's castle, Kalya sneered after seeing the fake smile that Queen Jasmine was showing her.

(I will not be deceived by your words. Whatever evil thing you're planning, I won't let you succeed)

Kalya said firmly in her heart.