“Master, you’re back!”
As soon as they returned home, Liuli heard You’s voice coming from the bedroom.
Then You flew out of her room, holding a book much larger than herself, looking very excited.
“Yes, we’re back.”
Judging by this, it seemed You had been reading the book all along.
“We bought you some furniture. I don’t know if it suits your taste. If there’s anything you don’t like, remember to tell me.”
Although, given You’s personality, she probably wouldn’t care about such things, Liuli felt it necessary to ask out of “courtesy.”
“I don’t mind at all! For me, having a place to live is already wonderful. Thank you, Master!”
After placing the book on a nearby table, You flew to Liuli’s shoulder, affectionately nuzzling against her.
“So, how are you settling in here?”
“It’s quite alright. There are many books here. I like this place!”
Alright, it seemed You was truly easy to please. Although, as the Princess of St. Leia, fulfilling some of You’s requests shouldn’t be too difficult.
“I’m glad you like it, You. This place is very different from your homeland. If there’s anything you’re not used to, you can tell me. I’ll help you as much as I can.”
“There’s nothing I’m not used to. To be honest, I don’t have much attachment to my homeland. It was just the place I was born. I don’t have any family or friends there. Master is my most cherished friend!”
Honestly, since coming of age, Liuli had never heard such straightforward, friendly words from anyone else.
“Even so, You, don’t you want to make some new friends?”
“Friends? I don’t know. Maybe? But for now, I just want to finish reading all these books.”
Alright, it seemed You was indeed so immersed in books she couldn’t extricate herself.
While it was a relief she wouldn’t cause trouble, seeing her like this all the time made Liuli wonder if there was something wrong with You.
Or, more directly, was she truly a Forest Elemental, or just a creature that looked very much like one?
After all, being mischievous and playful was considered the nature of Forest Elementals. What defines a racial nature?
It must be something widely recognized for the entire race, almost the most essential characteristic of that race.
If that’s the case, could You, who lacked the Forest Elemental nature, still be called a Forest Elemental?
But since she was already raising her, Liuli didn’t plan to forcibly change You’s habits. Being quiet wasn’t a problem, probably.
“Serveyia, can you show me the Sword Dance now?”
Liuli hadn’t forgotten what Serveyia promised while they were out shopping.
Although she reminded herself repeatedly not to get her hopes up too much, honestly, how could she not be expectant?
“Sure. Come with me, Little Fox.”
After following Serveyia to the courtyard attached to Qingli Hall, Liuli’s eyes lit up seeing the sword Serveyia drew. That sword was truly beautiful.
“Serveyia, I want to see your sword. May I?”
“That’s fine.” Serveyia’s tone was calm as she handed her sword to Liuli. “Be careful. This blade is sharpened. Don’t cut yourself.”
“I know. I’m not a child. I know these things.”
Taking the sword from Serveyia, Liuli examined it.
It was narrower than a typical sword.
The thin parts of the blade were almost translucent, allowing her to see her fingers through it.
The entire blade was tempered to a clear, bluish-green hue, like a pool of water.
Under the sunlight, the bluish-white metallic sheen flowed along the spine as if ripples were dancing.
On the guard, extremely fine intertwining honeysuckle patterns were engraved.
The curling posture of the flowers and leaves was soft, yet the lines were clean and sharp without any excess, clearly indicating this blade had seen blood.
However, this sword was honestly lighter than she imagined.
Not too light, but generally, for metal objects, weight determined quality.
Structural strength and such should require a certain weight, right?
But this was, after all, the Magic World. Perhaps there really were magical materials that could reduce weight while maintaining strength.
“Serveyia, when can I have a sword of my own?”
“Oh? Why does Little Fox want a sword?”
“Don’t you think it’s cool, Serveyia? Even if not for use, just hanging it up for appreciation would be nice, right?”
“If that’s the case, it doesn’t need to be troublesome. If practicality isn’t considered, buying a decorative sword shouldn’t be too much trouble for you, Little Fox?”
“That’s true…”
Buying a sword would be easy. But what Liuli wanted wasn’t just a sword.
Often, the things and implied sentiments behind it were what she valued.
However, Liuli also knew that swords weren’t the kind of gift given lightly.
So, wanting to receive a sword as a gift from someone else was actually somewhat difficult.
Rather, as a princess, she was probably the one who should be giving swords to others.
“But I still really want a distinctive sword…”
Somehow, after staying in the position of princess for so long, Liuli felt she had become spoiled.
Things she wouldn’t have dared imagine before, she now began to expect.
“Then you need sufficient opportunity. Perhaps during a diplomatic visit, you might encounter a fine sword and obtain your own.”
Serveyia’s words were more of a joke than actual advice.
Although Liuli thought such coincidences weren’t impossible, she wasn’t going on a secret realm adventure.
On a diplomatic visit, under what circumstances would she encounter a fine sword?
Moreover, in stories, fine swords often required completing certain tasks after obtaining them.
She had no intention of adventuring to complete those tasks.
Forget it. Maybe she should really find an opportunity to visit a weapons shop.
That way, she might actually find a sword she liked.
Handing Serveyia’s sword back to her, Liuli now focused on wanting to see Serveyia’s Sword Dance.
“I still want to see your Sword Dance, Serveyia. As for my own sword, as you said, there will be a chance if I’m lucky.”
“So, Little Fox, why are you so expectant? It’s just an ordinary Sword Dance. There’s really no need to be so expectant.”
“Serveyia, you don’t understand. I’m not expecting for no reason. It’s because it’s you that I’m expectant, Serveyia.”
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