The High Elf's First Love (1)
Ardena still wasn't entirely sure if she loved Yushin as a man. From the moment they'd met, she'd felt drawn to him. Even in overwhelmingly dire circumstances, he'd fought to evacuate his subordinates—that noble knightly resolve had impressed even her.
She'd captured him as a prisoner. One of the Valua Kingdom's famed Kingdom's Seven Swords. This human might just teach her little sister swordsmanship, along with valor and honor. So Ardena had taken the gamble, keeping Yushin as her slave no matter the cost. And from that point on, an inexplicable emotion had begun to grow within her.
'Kill me!'
The defeated high elf warrior captain cried out in their duel.
In response, the kingdom knight replied, 'You didn't go all out either. You deliberately held back your armor's power, didn't you? I didn't have my sword. Neither of us fought at full strength. It'd be a shame to end it like this.'
Along with the kingdom knight's voice echoing in her reverie, Ardena lying in bed opened her eyes. It was already morning. For someone who always rose at dawn to train her swordsmanship, sleeping in was utterly unlike her. Of course, even late, she'd still woken earlier than Alonne.
"Yawn."
The high elf warrior captain stretched her arms wide. She was wearing pajamas—blue with cute patterns. Ardena always projected an image of ironclad perfection without a single flaw, but in truth, she adored cute and charming things. These pajamas were one of her indulgences. She had a habit of always sleeping in them.
"Nngh..."
Rubbing her eyes cutely, Ardena caught sight of the black pantyhose draped over her desk and gasped. Last night's events. Proof that it hadn't been a dream. She remembered it vividly: the high elf's excited moans, the human's musky semen, and her own clumsy attempts to suppress her feelings.
Even after waking, thinking back on it left her mind in chaos.
'Please, don't let me run into him...! Just for today—no, as long as possible! How am I supposed to face him!'
Changing clothes, Ardena stared into the mirror, trying to calm her burning face. She cinched her belt tight. Laced her boots firmly, desperate to shake off the memories. But how could she forget so easily? If forgetting were as simple as willing it, life would be so much easier. But that was impossible. High elves boasted memories sharp enough to recall events from a century ago in crystal clarity. Ardena would probably be kicking off the covers in frustration over this even a hundred years from now.
"Good morning, miss. You're up late today? Though everyone has off days. It's reassuring to see you show a rare vulnerable side."
Stepping out, she encountered an elf maid. Ardena nodded at the greeting and asked, "Alonne?"
"She's at breakfast."
"I need to head out right now."
"B-but what about breakfast..."
"I'll handle it later!"
The elf maid tilted her head at Ardena's haste. No matter how busy, she always shared breakfast with Alonne. Skipping it without reason was downright suspicious.
"Good morning."
"..."
Fortune wasn't on Ardena's side. Rushing to leave the castle, she came face-to-face with Yushin, fresh from his morning training and entering the hall.
"Uh, yeah."
She tried to brush past. Normally, she'd return the greeting, but she lacked the courage now. Best to make a quick exit. Facing Yushin head-on, Ardena chose evasion—a response unworthy of the high elf knight captain who never showed her back to any foe.
"You look busy. Take care."
Yushin said it casually, grabbing her hand and kissing its back. Ardena, who'd tried to pull away, froze in place. Her heart pounded wildly, threatening to burst. If she were any older, she might've collapsed from a heart condition amid the frantic beats.
"A-ah, yeah..."
That was all she managed in response to his hand-kiss before hurrying out of the castle.
Ardena was in high spirits today. She could've overlooked any blunders from her subordinates. After a brief report from the Helenwood Knights under her command, she retreated to her office and dove into paperwork as usual.
"Good day, senior captain."
The door opened, admitting a silver-haired elf woman. Liana Linehold. Ardena had specifically told her not to call her that last time... But with her mood so buoyant, she decided to swallow the unintended slight. Besides, this was the palace in Maherith, capital of the Liberia Elf Kingdom. No need to stir trouble in such a solemn place; she maintained a dignified posture.
"Lady Liana, aren't you due at the academy?"
"Day off today. I stopped by the palace to pick up some things for my office. Thought I'd pay my respects while here."
"I see."
Ardena nodded. Had it been truancy for chit-chat, she'd have tossed her out the fourth-floor window. Muttering relief at averting that disaster, she noted Liana—oblivious—drawing closer, eager to bond over talk of Alonne.
"Miss Alonne is truly remarkable! Not just bias as her instructor, but if she keeps progressing smoothly, passing the graduation exam is a sure thing."
Pure flattery. But to a doting big sister, it fell on welcoming ears. Liana rattled off praises for Alonne, which Ardena absorbed silently. As a fellow warrior captain, Liana's eye for student potential was impeccable.
"Still, the graduation exam draws crowds of students. Alonne stands out, but it's too early to count chickens. Holding a Mana Blade for thirty minutes against an elite knight isn't easy for her."
The examiners weren't academy instructors. Knights dispatched from Maherith oversaw the trials. In other words, graduates dueled battle-hardened elite knights for half an hour, maintaining their Mana Blades throughout.
"Of course it's no small feat. But Bria Academy must impose stern, fair trials on those entering society's elite."
"Yes, senior captain's right."
"I'll have tea brought. Sit."
"Thank you!"
Liana beamed at the offer. Tea from the senior captain herself—the undefeated knight captain Ardena! Her right-hand woman days were near; she was already sipping the kimchi soup of ambition. Using little sister Alonne as her in, she'd worm into Ardena's inner circle. Liana, ever career-driven, poured her efforts into winning favor.
"By the way, senior captain."
"Hm."
"How's that human slave, Alonne's attendant, doing lately?"
Clink. Ardena's hand slipped while expertly brewing the black tea, knocking the cup. A mistake she'd never make. Ever image-conscious, she was meticulous even with tea etiquette.
"Surely you've disciplined him properly, senior captain, but picking a fight with Trident Company? The immature fool. I was shocked hearing about it. That clueless human needs a good thrashing sometime. Slave market must've botched his training—no manners at all."
Liana criticized Yushin's rudeness. Ardena stirred in a spoonful of salt to Liana's portion.
"That human slave still thinks he's one of the Kingdom's Seven Swords. A war prisoner slave, strutting with pride."
Ardena kept stirring. Three spoonfuls into Liana's tea.
"If you're alright with it, senior captain, I could straighten out his habits for you."
Liana was hopelessly tactless. Even as Ardena radiated icy murder vibes, she wouldn't shut up. It explained how Liana had risen to warrior captain on merit alone, sans connections. In a world where captains climbed via schmoozing, she'd never have made it.
"Tea'll get cold. I was a bit late."
"No problem! It's an honor just to have you pour it yourself."
Liana sipped. Her face crumpled like a mangled tray. But she couldn't complain—not to a superior, let alone one ranks above.
"Weather's turned quite chilly lately."
"Y-yeah... Cough."
Gagging on the sodium bomb, Liana suffered in silence. Ardena showed no mercy. Her inner self screamed not to.
"Heard milk tea with milk is trending among the youth. Sugar and jam too. But I prefer black tea's pure flavor."
Ardena sipped hers, calming down. She decided to forgive Liana—making her chug salt tea was too cruel.
"Senior captain, you sound like an old fogey."
Liana laughed. Her chronic filter failure. No malice—just Ardena's "youth these days" vibe mimicking middle-aged grumbles about "kids nowadays."
Crack. The teacup shattered under Ardena's grip. Simultaneously, the fourth-floor office window exploded like fine china. An elf plummeted out, bungee-jumping sans cord. She landed unharmed but tangled disastrously in the flowerbed below.
"Lady Ardena! What was that noise... The w-window!"
A Helenwood knight captain burst in at the crash. Window in shards. The elf warrior captain who'd entered was gone. It didn't take long to grasp: Ardena's mood was arctic. To avoid poking the captain's fury, the subordinate quietly shut the door and left.