Yes, My Queen!
“I’m gonna kill the boss.”
The quiet mutter was about the most defiance Renea could muster. It was a bit creepy coming from someone sprawled face-down on the floor, but I had my own grievances too.
“You popped your face in out of nowhere, so I just reacted.”
“Annoying.”
She grumbled, but Renea didn’t budge an inch. She almost looked like some Native American pressing her ear to the ground, counting passing wagons.
“Queen Renea!”
A handsome elf approached, slender even for a male with sharp jawline. Normally, you’d call him a pretty young man, but as an elf? He just came off like a malnourished kid who’d skipped too many meals.
Renea stayed stock-still despite the elf’s golden hair shimmering as he called out. Not a twitch.
“She’s not dead, is she?”
“You wanna die for real?”
“Sorry... She’s at that age where kicking the bucket any second wouldn’t surprise anyone.”
Suddenly dying right here wouldn’t even raise eyebrows at her age, huh.
“Queen! It is you, right?!”
Even in this mess, the elf had zero tact—absolute zero. Or maybe he just didn’t care about others’ feelings. Yeah, that explained trying to pitch a tent on someone else’s lawn like this.
“Boss, do something.”
Renea dumped it on me. Couldn’t leave her flattened forever, so I stepped up and blocked the elf.
“Who are you?”
“Huh?”
He looked flustered, like he hadn’t expected the blockade. His hand twitched toward his waist—impressive. And those 3rd-floor brand clothes? Top-shelf stuff.
“I don’t know any Renea, and there’s no one like that here.”
“But there’s that lady collapsed right there.”
I glanced casually at Renea and replied flatly.
“That’s just the dog we keep at home.”
“......”
“......”
I felt everyone staring, but whatever. With her down like that, “dog” was the best I could come up with.
“Woof.”
And look, she even played along. Fitting for a 1,902-year-old elf who’d brazenly declared she wanted to marry a guy who looked like Park Bu-gyeom.
More than that, she nailed those animal sounds from earlier—spot on.
“See? She’s barking.”
“......”
“Woof.”
“Hey! Cut it out! We have a guest. You ate those dog treats earlier and now this.”
“Cr-crazy.”
Kim Yang whipped out her phone to film, so I slapped my hand over the lens.
“What’re you doing?”
“Bl-blackmail material. Boss’s weakness. Le-leverage.”
“Hey.”
“Un-union. Salary negotiations.”
She talked big but pocketed the phone—thank goodness. Close call on that leverage.
“Ahem, anyway, you saw? Our dog’s harmless, so just go.”
“Grrrrr!”
Her acting range kept expanding. I was mildly impressed when the elf clutched his chest and shouted desperately.
“Your Majesty! It’s me! Rohes, the kid who carried arrows back when we drove out the gods!”
Driving out gods? This guy was at least 1,500 years old too. Looks really were deceiving with elves.
“Rohes?”
Renea slowly lifted her head, ruining all our efforts in one sly sit-up.
“Is it really you, Rohes?”
“Your Majesty! Yes, it’s me!”
Locking eyes with her, he dropped to one knee like a loyal knight, head bowed.
“Ugh! What an honor to see you again! Owner of the Millennium Throne, Queen of All Forests, She Who Stands at the World Tree’s Roots—!”
Those titles were brutal. I stuck out my tongue watching Renea, whose face flushed beet red as she peeked at me, then cleared her throat.
“Ahem, Rohes. This lady’s reunion with thee must be the World Tree’s guidance.”
What the hell. Kim Yang and I exchanged stunned looks.
Meanwhile, Renea approached Rohes with a gentle smile.
“This lady thought thee perished in the Layer Wars, returned to the World Tree’s embrace. How dost thou live?”
“Luck. I thought I was done for too. But—”
His face shadowed. The distant sunset sank lower.
“Luck. I met a benefactor, saved my skin. I meant to return to the forest, but my funeral was already done.”
“Many wept.”
“......I could’ve gone back, sure. But after 1,500 years cooped up, I wanted to see the world a bit.”
Renea nodded deeply, like she got it—the forest’s stuffiness, the itch to explore. Like finding a kindred spirit.
“Did I err, my queen?”
Rohes looked up from his kneel, his question heavy with nights of torment.
Sensing it, Renea smiled faintly and shook her head.
“The forest remembers thy sacrifice, child.”
“Your Majesty...!”
“Live thy life from here on.”
“Sniff, Your Majesty—! Thank you, thank you!”
The burden he’d carried since leaving the forest finally lifted. Rohes rose lighter, face tear-streaked but beaming.
“I too shall pretend not to see thee. Do thou the same for me.”
“Yes—! Understood!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Patting his shoulder, Renea eyed his entourage. Mostly elves.
“New faces.”
“Ah, my kids. Came to play while welcoming my tenth wife.”
“T-Ten—?!”
Renea flinched back a step. Felt like I’d just lost something.
“If chance allows another meeting, Your Majesty... I’ll introduce them properly then.”
“Y-Yeah. Got it.”
Rohes bowed deeply and left. Shoving aside a twinge of defeat, Renea smiled at me.
“Haha, glad he’s doing well!”
“Yeah, seems thriving.”
I added, recalling the glinting watch on his wrist.
“That watch he’s wearing? We’d have to sell all of Meracle to afford it.”
“......”
Nice one, Rohes.
* * *
A few days after settling back into routine. Meracle open for business as usual.
Consulting in Room 1.
“Ah, so even after marriage, no plans to quit your job?”
“Yep. In this day and age? Career’s everything.”
Her tail swished lazily, cat ears twitching atop her head. Female cat beastkin were in high demand—tickled all the right fantasies.
Tablet listed her job: Taekwondo instructor. Salary: 2.5 million won. A tad low, but killer looks made up for it. Eyes a bit too cat-like—kinda eerie.
“Special notes say your eyes glow in the dark? Like a cat?”
“Yes.”
“Lemme kill the lights quick.”
Curtains drawn, lights off—yep, they glowed.
“Technically reflects light. Just like cats.”
“Ahh.”
“So... some guys get scared at night. Y’know, lights off and all?”
“Ahh.”
Matchmaking exposed you to every gripe imaginable.
“Got it. Salary and stability are iffy, but your looks and fitness could match higher ranks.”
Youth helped too.
Back at my seat post-consult, a sudden chill hit.
“Brr, why’s the office so damn cold?”
“H-Hot.”
Peeked at Kim Yang’s screen—idol dance vid.
“What’re you doing?”
“Br-break.”
“......”
“N-No work.”
True enough. Yeoeumhoe fallout lingered; slim pickings ahead.
“No work my ass. Go hand out flyers.”
“Ol-old fogey.”
Running this place felt like real-time strategy sims. Couldn’t just watch my SCV idle instead of mining.
Speaking of—
“Scrub-a-dub!”
Our 1,902-year-old granny diligently wiping desks, chanting to beat dementia.
“Pat-pat!”
Post-client notes done, boredom hit, so I teased Renea.
“Such diligent cleaning suits a ruler—reassuring indeed.”
“......”
Renea froze, then flashed an awkward smile. Twitching lips—live comedy gold.
“Y-Your speech is odd. Ha, haha—Boss, really—”
“Odd? I matched thy archaic tongue to avoid awkwardness.”
“St-stop it.”
Her trembling was adorable. Holding back laughs, Kim Yang nudged me.
“D-don’t tease.”
“Kim Yang!”
“Y-Yes, m-my queen.”
“......”
Renea’s hug attempt halted, eyeing her like a wary cat.
“Ow-owner of the Millennium Throne. Qu-Queen of all f-fo-forests—”
“She Who Stands at the World Tree’s Roots!”
“Ex-xactly.”
“Stop iiiit!”
She lunged, pummeling me playfully. Couldn’t help but crack up.
“Meracle remembers thy toilet-plunging sacrifice!”
“Sh-shut up! I said stop teeeeasing!”