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“Look at this, Serendi!”

“Let’s go together, Serendi! Today we’re going to hunt desert scorpions!”

That calling voice.

“Serendi!”

Her name, received from everyone, called by everyone.

Serendi El Arephiana.

“I remember…”

As her name surfaced, other memories began to emerge into the consciousness of remembrance. Undoubtedly, the elf maiden before her was Shailen, her sister whom she had followed closely in her childhood.

Tears welled in Siris’s eyes.

For elves, all children are siblings, and all adults are fathers and mothers. And Shailen had been one of her closest among these many siblings, the beloved sister who had always led her with a gentle smile and embraced her with love.

“You… you were alive…”

Holding back tears, Siris clasped Shailen’s hands.

It had been their last encounter amidst the catastrophe, the chaos, fifty years ago. She had assumed that Shailen, like her, had been captured by humans and sold somewhere. But to think she had been living so boldly all this time.

The word “joy” was too mild to describe the warm surge welling up in a corner of her heart.

However, Shailen’s response was utterly cold.

“So, you were alive too.”

It was a chilly voice. Siris stared at her in shock. This was not the affectionate face from her memories but one filled with contempt, as if she were looking at some dirty insect.

“Shailen, sister?”

Two elven children, hiding behind her, one a boy, alternated their gaze between Siris and Shailen, before one asked,

“Do you know each other?”

“Don’t talk, Laid.”

It was a stern voice. Startled, Laid quickly hid himself again. Shailen, with a grave look in her eyes, slowly began,

“Becoming a plaything for filthy humans, living without pride or honor, you were still alive, Serendi.”

Siris’s face turned pale.

“I… I…”

No words of rebuttal came to her. Although she believed she had never succumbed to humans, she had indeed lived under them, eating their food, following their teachings for over fifty years. Throughout this time, she had been traded from place to place, enduring many humiliations. Fortunately, she had not been defiled, but there had been shameful moments where she had been exposed in front of filthy humans.

Indeed, was she not merely a plaything for filthy humans?

Could she confidently say that even in that life, she had maintained her dignity and honor?

Siris’s complexion darkened. She slowly released the hands she had been holding with Shailen. The criticisms from the sister she so dearly loved were carving through her heart like blades.

Siris bowed her head. Seeing her expression, Shailen forcibly turned her gaze away. She felt a slight ache in her heart.

Truthfully, she could not deny that she had been shaken by the words of that large human. Perhaps they really had saved them. Perhaps they had acted out of pure goodwill, without any greed or expectation of reward.

But still, the other party was human. And she had been a slave to humans.

‘…It is impossible to trust humans…’

Silence lingered. The two young elf children kept glancing between Shailen and Siris, gauging the situation. Then, a soft but distinctly angry voice broke the silence.

“She is my comrade. She is definitely not a slave.”

Suddenly, Shailen turned her head in surprise. Repenhardt had approached and was looking down at her with a stern face. To the eye, he was just a burly, seemingly uneducated young human man. Yet, impeccably accurate Elvish flowed from his mouth.

“How can a human speak our language?”

Upon reflection, she and Siris had been conversing in Elvish all along. If he did not know Elvish, he wouldn’t have been able to interject into their conversation.

Shailen wore a disbelieving expression. However, Repenhardt seemed to have no leisure to clarify her doubts. Like a hen shielding its chicks, he stepped in front of Siris and continued sternly.

“I cannot allow you to continue treating her as a slave, even if you are her family.”

His voice remained calm, yet it unmistakably conveyed his emotions. Shailen’s eyes widened as she looked up at Repenhardt. Her pupils quivered slightly.

‘Could it be… is he serious?’

Just as the children of the earth, the Dwarves, could hear the voice of truth, the descendants of the spirits, the Elves, could scent emotions. However, unlike the Dwarves, this ability among the Elves to resonate with others’ feelings was awakened through education and training. Thus, it was impossible for Elves living as slaves to humans. However, Shailen, who had been trained since childhood, was somewhat capable of empathizing with others’ emotions.

As Repenhardt moved closer, the faint scent of emotions wafted subtly. A sincere anger intertwined with a painfully intense affection tickled her nose.

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Shailen increasingly felt that this person was somehow different from others.

“……But……”

Even so, Shailen couldn’t easily open her heart. Despite empathizing with emotions, she couldn’t be sure whether her senses were telling the truth or not.

Even though they were enslaved, the dwarves were still cradled in the arms of the earth, unlike the elves who had lost their World Tree, Elvenheim. This ability to empathize with emotions was also a basic stage in learning spirit magic. Now that the World Tree was gone, most elves had lost their spirit magic, and their ability to empathize had significantly diminished.

As Shailen watched the two in dismay, Repenhardt sighed and turned to look at Siris.

“Siris.”

His voice was slightly irritated. Siris calmly replied.

“Yes, Lord Repenhardt.”

“You’re also a problem.”

Siris tilted her head slightly. Repenhardt continued as if admonishing her.

“Why can’t you speak? You’re not a slave!”

Siris clammed up. Her complexion turned icy. Repenhardt, frustrated, hit his chest.

“Say it clearly. You’re not a slave, you’re a free elf!”

“……”

Silence lingered. Siris remained silent, her head bowed. Repenhardt shook his head, unable to understand. Suddenly, Siris’s eyes sharpened.

“Really……”

She lit a fierce glare in her eyes as she looked up defiantly at Repenhardt. Startled by her sudden change in demeanor, Repenhardt flinched. In a cold voice, she asked.

“Am I not a slave?”

Repenhardt was dumbfounded by her question.

“No, when have I ever treated you like a slave?”

Certainly, he had never done so. The way Repenhardt had always treated her was never as a slave. Siris acknowledged that too.

“No.”

“Then when have I ever acted without asking for your opinion?”

“Never.”

“So why do you keep belittling yourself!”

Repenhardt’s expression was one of utter frustration as he shouted. Siris quietly responded.

“But Lord Repenhardt, you’ve never once said that I’m not a slave……”

“Uh……?”

He realized in that moment. He had genuinely interacted with Siris. He always asked for her opinion and always requested rather than commanded. He had shown his intentions through his actions. But he had not realized that he had never ‘verbally’ expressed those words.

“Tsk……”

Repenhardt clicked his tongue and shook his head, suddenly feeling the full extent of his own obtuseness. With an awkward expression, Repenhardt slowly opened his mouth.

“If you want something, just say it clearly.”

He wasn’t sure why, but if she desired it, he was willing to oblige.

“You are not a slave. You and I are equals. You are a free elf.”

However, Siris was far from pacified. In fact, she seemed even angrier. Her eyes narrowed.

“I’m not a slave?”

“That’s right, you are not a slave.”

Repenhardt’s soothing reply only made Siris bite her lip, suppressing the rising tide of her emotions as she spoke.

“I know that you do not treat elves like slaves. You treat elves and dwarves just like humans. I’m well aware of that.”

“But, why then…”

Confused, Repenhardt looked at Siris as she lifted her head enough to shake her platinum blonde hair.

“I don’t know what the problem is… But one thing is clear.”

Her eyes, sharp and clear, fixed on Repenhardt as she enunciated each word.

“…You’re… not really looking at me.”

The emotions she had vowed never to express surged up, unwittingly forming words on her tongue.

“You see someone else through me…”

* * *

Repenhardt stood frozen as if turned to stone.

“Uh…”

For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend what Siris had said. He couldn’t understand why she would say something like that.

Yet, even amidst his confusion, a voice inside him questioned independently of his will.

‘Have I truly been looking at her?’

Was he really seeing this delicate elf girl before him now? He might have been viewing her with affectionate eyes as if she were someone from his memories, but could it truly be said that this affection was directed at Siris?

His strength drained from his body. His head spun. Complicated thoughts swirled through his brain as Siris’s voice reached him.

“It didn’t matter anyway. After all, I was just a slave. That way, there was no problem.”

Her voice seemed to come from a distant place. Repenhardt’s legs trembled.

“But if that’s the case, please treat me like a slave.”

He had thought he had saved Siris. He had felt proud, believing he had rescued her from a dire fate.

It had been a terrible delusion. Repenhardt had never saved her. What he had saved was a Siris from a past life. In this era, he was nothing more than a human who had bought an elf slave.

“Please don’t speak so earnestly to me.”

Siris reflected from her perspective. A complete stranger had bought her, treated her kindly at his whim, showered her with affection, and told her she wasn’t a slave…

It sent shivers down her spine.

“…I cannot accept sincerity that isn’t truly yours.”

Finally revealing her true feelings, Siris looked regretful for a moment before she turned to leave. Repenhardt couldn’t follow her.

Whooosh…

The dry sand winds raced over the desert. Camels blinked then settled down to begin mumbling among themselves. Repenhardt stood frozen, as stiff as a rock.

How much time had passed?

His tangled thoughts began to settle calmly. Yes, there was no fault in her words.

She was not wrong at all.

It was he who was mistaken.

“Indeed…”

Repenhardt closed his eyes.

He made a decision he did not want to make, feeling fear about what would come from it, yet he did not regret this decision. It was the only apology he could offer her.

Repenhardt approached Siris again and called her name.

“Siris.”

She did not move. He stuttered as he began to speak.

“You are free. Nothing will constrain your actions now.”

She lifted her head slightly.

“There’s nothing to constrain your actions now.”

She weakly looked up at him, with an expression of confusion as if she didn’t understand why he was repeating himself. Repenhardt sighed.

“It’s different from before. Whether you stay by my side or leave, it’s all up to your will now. Act as you wish. If it’s your will, I will respect everything.”

Siris’s eyes widened. Repenhardt pursed his lips.

“Anywhere else, such words might be mere pretense…”

In this continent, a domain ruled by humans, there is no comfort for an elf abandoned by their master. Elsewhere, telling Siris such things would be unrealistic because she couldn’t possibly survive away from Repenhardt.

“But here is your homeland, where your family is.”

Here, the story was different. Now that he had confirmed that the Dahnhaim tribe was still thriving, she could return to her family’s embrace at any time. She definitely had a place to stay.

“Do as you wish, Siris, or rather, Serendi El Areliana.”