Chapter 22 The Elf's Regret 2
Chapter 22: {The Elf's Regret} 2
{The Elf's Regret}
Yenia, who had traveled through the human world, knew well that there was a particular fantasy among humans about elven love.
The tale that elven women loved only one man for their entire lives—never glancing at another, mourning their beloved until death, and sometimes even following them into the afterlife.
But elves, with their long lifespans, did indeed remain faithful to their partners—yet remarriage was still part of their culture.
It was merely a story embellished by human misconceptions and fantasies. Yet Yenia felt that, for her, those misconceptions were no exception.
"Ji-hu..."
During their time wandering the battlefield together, Yenia had realized she harbored deep feelings of love for Yu Ji-hu.
In this world, where the number of men dying in war was staggeringly high, polygamy was considered natural—a cultural norm even among elves, whose population had a skewed gender ratio of nine women to every man.
The only difference was that elven men, by nature, preferred monogamy. As a result, 80% of elven women never married, making those who did the objects of envy among their kin.
But Yenia had never once envied them. She had resigned herself to living alone until her eventual death in the distant future.
Yet the mere year she spent with Yu Ji-hu had changed her mind.
'I enjoy the time I spend with him.'
Yenia didn't deny her feelings—she acknowledged them.
Just like the other three women in his life, she loved Yu Ji-hu and longed for his love in return.
"Ji-hu, you must be tired, right?"
"A little, yeah."
Even though he tried to act fine amid the relentless battles, exhaustion was plain on his face. Sensing this, Yenia treated him with even more warmth, hoping he would trust and lean on her more.
"Then lie down here for a bit."
She gestured to her lap, offering him a pillow of her thighs.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"...Alright. Just for a little while."
Normally, he would have hesitated out of shyness, but the sheer fatigue made him accept her offer without protest. He rested his head on her lap and immediately fell asleep.
'Sleep well.'
Looking down at his sleeping face, Yenia felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
The fact that he could sleep so defenselessly in her presence told her just how much he trusted her.
Watching his steady breaths, she smiled softly and whispered,
"You worked hard today, Ji-hu."
She couldn't even begin to imagine how grueling his battles had been—how mentally and physically taxing it was to fight in a world not his own.
All she could hope was that her presence brought him some comfort. And if she could just have a place by his side—even a small one—she would be content.
'The others aren't easy competition.'
Especially since she was the last to join.
Having met Ji-hu later than the rest, she had spent the least time with him. That insecurity made her believe that simply being one of his women was enough.
And beyond this moment of letting him rest in her lap, the time they spent together was joyful.
Later, when their relationship deepened and she finally found herself in his arms, sharing a kiss, the sensation was so euphoric it felt like she could fly—no exaggeration.
"Yenia, after we defeat the Demon King... would you come to Earth with me?"
Ji-hu had even asked if she would go to Earth with him once the war was over.
"Earth? Hoh, is that... a proposal for spending our lives together?"
"W-well, yeah. Haha, it's embarrassing, but... I'll be honest. I want you, Yenia, to stay with me forever."
Yenia knew this confession wasn't meant for her alone.
Over six brutal years of war, Ji-hu had opened his heart not just to her, but to the other three as well.
Amid endless bloodshed and hardship, loving just one person had become impossible for him.
And all four of them had accepted that.
"Ji-hu... I wasn't the first, was I?"
"Uh, well... Sorry..."
He admitted it with genuine remorse, flustered by her question.
Yenia couldn't help but laugh at his expression.
"Huhu, you don't need to look so flustered. Even on Earth, some countries allow it, don't they? While others insist on monogamy?"
"Well, yeah... but most nations stick to one partner."
"Then why don't we all just hold a group wedding here before going to Earth? If we're already married, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Her words were playful, but she meant them.
As an elf, she would live for centuries. Ji-hu was strong, but no one knew how long his human lifespan would last—100 years? 200?
But one thing was certain to Yenia:
Even if that time was short by elven standards, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
But then—
"An... oracle?"
A divine message had descended.
["I'm sorry, all of you. But I have no choice. For my sister's sake, I have to return to Earth—and this is the only way."]
In the vision shown by the oracle, Ji-hu spoke with a coldness Yenia could never believe.
["Why?! You promised we'd go to Earth together!"]
["I'm sorry. But returning alone is already difficult enough. And using the Demon King's Heart is my only chance."]
["N-no! If you do that, the explosive clash of energies will endanger the entire Terra Continent!"]
["Not my problem. I fought for Terra for six years—now it's time for Terra to sacrifice for me."]
The sheer callousness of his words, as if those six years meant nothing, shattered Yenia's heart.
'Ji-hu would never say that.'
She couldn't believe it—not even as an oracle.
Elves revered divine messages, but the Ji-hu she had known for six years would never sacrifice them like this.
He was the kind of man who fought for others.
"Ji-hu would never do this."
After confirming the oracle, Saintess Mine was the first to speak when the four gathered in private.
"Right. Something's clearly wrong."
Princess Iris murmured in a daze.
"I don't want to believe it either."
Scarlet bit her lip.
"The oracle is fake. There's no doubt—something's off. M-maybe... what we saw wasn't Ji-hu, but... an illusion from the Demon King?"
She was grasping at straws, refusing to accept reality. Yenia, who also didn't want to believe, agreed.
"I... think the same."
But they couldn't voice their doubts further.
Oracles had never been wrong before—they were divine warnings, sacred and absolute.
Questioning them was blasphemy.
And yet, the battle against the Demon King unfolded exactly as the oracle had foretold.
'How could you...?'
As an elf, Yenia felt a crushing betrayal watching Ji-hu's actions.
Everything happened just as the oracle predicted, rendering their doubts meaningless. The man she had trusted so deeply had betrayed them.
Rage consumed her.
The battle concluded as foreseen—Ji-hu defeated the Demon King, then stood over its corpse, just as the vision had shown.
In that moment, Yenia resolved to save the world.
Blinded by her resolve and the sting of betrayal, she committed an act she would regret for eternity—an unforgivable sin.
"Ghk—!"
Ji-hu coughed blood as Iris's sword pierced him.
Yenia forced back her tears, but then she felt his gaze upon her.
"Scarlet. Mine. Yenia."
As he called their names one by one, Yenia clenched her teeth and glared at him with eyes full of scorn.
"I thought I'd spend my life with you!"
She meant it.
She had truly believed she could spend her entire life with him.
Even if he died before her, she would have mourned him forever—followed him in death if she had to.