However, Qiansitelin’s words only made the elf girl pause for a moment, then she showed a face of disbelief while her attitude became even more sincere.
“Um… can I go with you?”
The elf girl still thought that Qiansitelin and Muxuan were some kind of important figures, and she started scheming in her mind.
‘What if?’
Even if they weren’t big shots within the elven tribe, they might be important people from an outside race.
And recently, quite a few important figures had come from the Dwarf Tribe!
Besides, Muxuan was an elf, and Qiansitelin, a human, was taking care of her the whole time.
Maybe they were doing really well among the humans?
At the very least, they were definitely honored guests!
Having made up her mind, the elf girl looked at Qiansitelin with even more eagerness.
Qiansitelin looked at Ailiya’s emerald green eyes, which were filled with awe and a faint, barely noticeable hope, and quickly weighed her options in her mind.
After confirming that the other party really had no ill intentions and was just an ordinary elf, Qiansitelin’s guard relaxed considerably.
Seeing this, Qiansitelin simply couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright.
Besides, turning down this seemingly naive, low-status elf girl was safe, but it also meant losing a potential channel for understanding the internal situation of the Elven Forest.
And her strong reaction to the sap of the Elf Holy Tree could be used to deepen the misunderstanding of her “noble status.”
“You can follow.”
Qiansitelin’s voice still carried a sense of distance, but it was a bit softer than the coldness she had deliberately maintained earlier.
“But you must stay quiet. Don’t approach without permission, and don’t ask about things you shouldn’t.”
“Understood?”
The elf girl quickly nodded, nearly dropping the wicker basket in her arms.
“Understood! Ailiya won’t say a word. I’ll do as you command, Lady!”
After speaking, she carefully stepped back a few paces, creating a distance that felt both “safe” and “respectful.”
But her gaze couldn’t help darting to Muxuan’s delicate profile and the bottle that Qiansitelin had now carefully stowed away.
Unease.
The absolute silence of this area still left Qiansitelin feeling uneasy.
She checked again that Muxuan’s breathing had steadied, then stood up holding Muxuan, and nodded to Ailiya.
“Lead the way. Find the nearest place to rest.”
“Yes, Lady!”
Ailiya immediately walked slightly ahead to lead the way, her steps light but deliberately slowed.
Qiansitelin followed closely, her gaze constantly sweeping over the surrounding giant trees, but her brows remained furrowed.
This forest… was too wrong.
If Ailiya had no issues… she should have noticed the forest’s problems.
But just as Qiansitelin was puzzled, Ailiya suddenly turned around, her head slightly lowered as she looked cautiously at Qiansitelin, as if wanting to say something but not daring to.
“Is something the matter?”
Seeing this, Qiansitelin asked a bit helplessly.
Had she scared this elf girl? She seemed a bit afraid of her.
Qiansitelin didn’t think it was a bad thing.
With her Highness in poor condition, she had to be cold toward strangers.
Thinking this, Qiansitelin held Muxuan, didn’t urge, and just stood still.
“There… there’s something…”
Ailiya’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.
After saying that, she quickly glanced up at Qiansitelin.
Meeting that cold gaze, she shrank her neck back, her voice dropping even lower.
“This forest… has been feeling off lately.”
Qiansitelin’s brows tightened again.
This was exactly the suspicious point she was most worried about.
How could an elf living here be oblivious to this unnatural silence?
Now that Ailiya brought it up, it was actually normal, and it also confirmed Qiansitelin’s concerns about the forest.
“Off? Details.”
As if given permission, Ailiya spoke a bit faster, but her unease became more apparent.
“It’s too quiet! You sensed it too, Lady? Before… it wasn’t like this.”
She looked around, her eyes filled with confusion and fear.
“The birds, the bugs, even the glowing moss flowers… they’re all gone.”
“It’s like… they’re scared?”
She frowned in puzzlement.
“But what are they afraid of? This is our home… The elders say the forest is resting and recovering, but Ailiya doesn’t think so.”
She paused, her voice trembling slightly.
“And the sunlight feels weird. It looks bright, but when it touches the ground, it has no warmth—cold.”
Ailiya rubbed her arms, her voice thick with confusion.
Qiansitelin’s heart sank.
It was just as Ailiya described… this forest had been sick for a long time.
But the Elf Holy Tree shouldn’t…
No, the Elf Holy Tree was probably in trouble too.
Just as Qiansitelin was thinking, a faint groan came from her arms.
“Mm…”
In an instant, Qiansitelin looked down.
Muxuan’s long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she finally managed to open her eyes a sliver.
Her emerald green pupils, hidden by her disguise, were first vacant and unfocused, then seemed to be triggered by Ailiya’s voice.
She slowly lifted her head toward Ailiya, her gaze gradually focusing.
Deep in her eyes, an extremely brief golden phantom flickered with divine majesty.
The moment that gaze swept over Ailiya, she felt her whole body stiffen, her breath catching.
The feeling came and went quickly, so fast that Ailiya thought it was just her imagination.
‘It must be the lingering effect of that herbal scent. I’m seeing things.’
‘How could that elf lady in the arms of that other lady have such a scary look in her eyes?’
Comforting herself, Ailiya silently looked away.
Qiansitelin sharply caught the fleeting gold in Muxuan’s eyes, and her heart tightened.
Instinctively, she tightened her arms, gently patted Muxuan’s back, and used her body to subtly block the view, making her voice as soft as possible.
“Your Highness? How are you feeling?”
Muxuan’s consciousness was clearly not fully clear yet.
A sharp pain, like countless steel needles stirring inside her skull, made her groan again.
The spot on her neck where Qiansitelin’s hand had struck ached dully.
Muxuan struggled to look past Qiansitelin’s shoulder at the elf girl a short distance away, who was clutching a wicker basket and looking flustered.
“Who… is she?”
Muxuan’s voice was exceptionally weak, thick with exhaustion.
Upon waking, her mind quickly caught up, making her clearly realize she had arrived at the Elven Forest.
But…
In Muxuan’s eyes, the Elven Forest looked gray-white and withered.
Only that elf girl still shimmered with the green vitality of life essence.