"That's roughly how the story goes. Do you understand now?" Seralyth looked at Allen with enthusiasm.
Allen rubbed his chin and fell into deep thought.
'So, the world tree in front of me is very different from the one in Norse legends, huh? Thank goodness...' he muttered with a long sigh.
In short, the world tree was the home and source of life for the elves. It was also said that a spirit resided within it, tasked with protecting the elves.
Because of that, the elves respected the spirit deeply—even to the point of worshiping it.
Even so, the spirit of the world tree didn't have the superior or proud demeanor Allen had imagined. On the contrary, it was very humble and got along well with the elves.
Of course, that was all according to Seralyth. Whether it was true or not, Allen wasn't sure.
"Well then, let's go to the palace and see my mother. I'm sure she's been waiting for you and me." Seralyth's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Without waiting for his answer, she pulled Allen's hand and led him toward the palace.
The two climbed the stairs until they reached the front courtyard. It was vast, with guards stationed at various points.
The strict security amazed Allen.
"Princess Seralyth and Prince Allen!" A man's anxious voice called out from behind them.
They turned and saw a young elf with a tall and handsome appearance.
"Ivtar?" Seralyth was surprised. "What happened? Why do you look so panicked?"
Ivtar gasped for a moment before looking at Seralyth and Allen with concern.
"Her Majesty the Queen is looking for you both. Especially you, Prince," he said, glancing at Allen helplessly. "Her Majesty even issued an order to mobilize the troops to find you. But fortunately, I found you first, so the order didn't need to be carried out."
Ivtar held a position similar to a general. He was the queen's right-hand man and one of her most trusted advisors.
When he saw the queen's anger earlier, he had been so terrified that his body trembled.
Thankfully, Seralyth and Allen appeared just in time, giving him a sense of relief.
Upon hearing this, Seralyth's chubby face instantly turned pale.
The person she feared the most was her mother. The queen was fierce and strict—especially when it came to Allen.
She wouldn't hesitate to punish her if she made any mistake involving him.
Trying to calm herself, Seralyth nodded stiffly and said, "I understand. I will bring Allen into the palace immediately."
"Good. Hurry, or you will receive severe punishment," Ivtar urged frantically.
Seralyth didn't dare delay and quickly pulled Allen into the palace.
As the two vanished from sight, Ivtar rubbed his temples and muttered, "Princess Seralyth won't survive today..."
***
In the throne room, a woman sat calmly with her eyes closed.
The woman was gorgeous beyond description. She had long, slightly wavy green hair.
Wearing a light green collarless dress, her slim yet voluptuous figure could easily captivate any man in the world—especially her beautiful and seductive cleavage.
However, the most striking feature was the golden petal symbol on her forehead.
It gave her a mysterious aura, making her seem detached from the mortal world.
Tap! Tap!
Footsteps echoed from the front hallway. Moments later, two figures walked in with pale, panicked faces.
They were Seralyth and Allen.
"Allen, do as we planned earlier, okay? If not, my mother will scold me," Seralyth whispered in a voice as soft as a mosquito's.
"Don't worry, I'll do it," Allen replied firmly.
Earlier, Seralyth had begged him not to mention the incident where he drowned in the lake.
If he did, she would definitely receive heavy punishment from the queen.
By the way, he also learned something important from their conversation.
It turned out that the queen was his aunt—his father's younger sister.
For reasons he couldn't reveal, his father, the elf king, had died, and his position had been taken over by his aunt, Sylvia Ael'varion.
The real Allen had also been raised by her with great affection.
When they reached the front of the throne, Seralyth bowed her head and greeted her with a trembling voice, "I'm home, Mother."
Allen followed her lead and greeted her with a voice as sweet as milk, "I'm home too, Auntie."
Sylvia slowly opened her eyes. Her light green eyes had strange flower-shaped pupils.
Her gaze was cold and indifferent, making the air feel heavy.
"Where have you been?" she asked calmly.
Seralyth lifted her head and answered, "Allen and I went out to play, Mother."
No matter how hard she tried to hide it, her voice was still filled with fear.
"Out to play?" Sylvia's brows rose slightly. She looked Allen up and down, then suddenly noticed a small bruise on his forehead.
"A bruise?" Her eyes narrowed. "What happened? How did you get that bruise, Allen?"
Her voice rose, carrying pressure and a hint of anger.
"It's…" Seralyth panicked. She had checked Allen's body earlier and didn't see any bruise at all.
So why was her mother now saying there was one on his forehead?
At that moment, Allen rubbed his forehead and smiled sweetly.
"You misunderstood, Auntie. It's not a bruise but a scar from when I tripped a few days ago. So you don't need to worry."
"A scar?" Sylvia blinked several times. She stared at him intently, and Allen felt uncomfortable under her gaze.
"Alright, I understand. But Allen, why didn't you tell me earlier that you were hurt? Did you do it on purpose?"
"It's not like that, Auntie." Allen waved both hands and hurriedly clarified. "I just didn't want you to worry. After all, you're the queen and extremely busy. I didn't want to bother you."
Allen put on an innocent and sad expression. Honestly, he wanted to vomit right now.
Pretending to be an innocent child was torture to his soul and his pride as an adult man.
But he knew that if he didn't do it, he would most likely die.
So, whether he liked it or not, he endured the discomfort in order to survive.
"So that's how it is…" Sylvia gave a small nod, as if she understood.
Her expression softened slightly as she said, "Alright, you may go, Seralyth. As for Allen, you stay here."
Seralyth let out a relieved breath. She thought she would be harshly punished, but in the end, she was spared.
And it was all thanks to her beloved little brother. Without realizing it, her affection for Allen grew even stronger.
Once Seralyth left, only Allen and Sylvia remained in the throne room.
Allen felt a chill run down his spine. Somehow, he sensed that Sylvia had seen through his lie.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Sylvia's indifferent voice echoed in front of him.
"Allen, who taught you to lie?"