How I feel? Lake repeated, somewhat surprised by the question.
"Yes, what are your personal thoughts on Sylph?" Elder Seraphis continued, his gaze unreadable.
Lake hesitated. The truth was dangerous. If he bluntly admitted that he saw Sylph as a walking biological weapon—capable of disarming even the sharpest minds—he would be painting himself in a terrible light.
Wouldn’t that just worsen the situation for him?
But stalling forever wasn’t an option.
"I think she’s a good person."
"Fufufu," Elder Summer chuckled maturely. "And what does a ’good person’ mean to you exactly?"
"A good person is exactly that. Someone who acts with good intentions," Lake replied smoothly, keeping the second half of his thoughts—even if their actions have severe consequences—to himself.
Elder Seraphis nodded, his sharp gaze assessing. "I see. That is an interesting perspective."
Lake barely had time to process the response before Elder Seraphis turned his attention elsewhere.
"Iris," he suddenly addressed, "I apologize for not including you earlier in this conversation."
Iris, who had been glaring daggers at Lake all this time, was visibly thrown off guard. "I-It’s no problem at all, Grand Elder."
"Relax, child," Seraphis smiled warmly before continuing. "What do you think? We have heard Lake’s perspective, but what about yours? What is your opinion on Sylph’s declaration?"
Iris stiffened slightly. "I don’t have anything to say regarding this matter." She gave a respectful bow of her head, though Lake caught a flicker of something behind her words—something she wasn’t saying.
Their eyes met briefly, and in that moment, a hint of disdain flashed across her face before she quickly masked it.
"I think that the relationship between Lake and Sylph is simply that of friends."
Lake was slightly surprised by her response. He knew Iris didn’t see the current situation favorably, yet she still replied in such a neutral manner.
He honestly thought she would’ve used the chance to paint him as a villain.
Luckily, Elder Seraphis didn’t question her further and instead turned toward Bramble.
"And what about you, young Bramble?"
Bramble, who had been sitting in a dignified yet relaxed manner, offered a small, neutral smile. "I also don’t have much to say regarding this matter."
Elder Rain frowned slightly. "You mean to say that your opinion is the same as your sister’s?" His stern gaze suggested that he wasn’t fully satisfied with the answer.
Bramble only shrugged.
"Hmph." Elder Rain snorted but didn’t press further.
With that, the focus returned to the original purpose of the meeting. Elder Seraphis’ expression eased slightly, and he addressed Lake once more.
"Lake, I apologize if this meeting has seemed overbearing. It is not our intention to cause you distress, but you must understand—Sylph is an important figure among our people. If she, a fairy, declares love for a human so boldly, it is our duty to ensure that we understand the nature of this relationship."
Lake nodded. "I understand, Elder."
Seraphis seemed satisfied with the response, but Elder Summer wasn’t finished yet. She leaned forward slightly, her voice carrying a subtle allure. "Sylph, we were quite surprised by your declaration earlier. Perhaps we may have misinterpreted something. Can you clarify what exactly you meant?"
Sylph, who had been quietly watching the conversation unfold with curiosity, perked up. Her gaze flickered briefly toward Lake, as if replaying his earlier words in her mind.
"A good person..." she mumbled under her breath.
"Sylph?" Seraphis prompted.
"W-What?" She blinked rapidly, shaking herself out of her daze.
"We wanted you to elaborate on your earlier statement," Elder Summer repeated, a knowing smile playing at her lips.
"The one where you boldly declared your love for the boy, darling."
Lake stiffened, a sense of impending doom creeping over him.
"You mean when I said I love Lake?" Sylph tilted her head innocently.
"Yes. Can you explain what that means to you?"
"Hmmm..." Sylph furrowed her brows in deep thought.
Lake could practically hear the gears turning in her head, and the longer the silence stretched, the more his instincts screamed at him.
He had to stop this before Sylph gave an answer that would only complicate things further.
"I’m sorry to interrupt, Elders," Lake suddenly spoke, keeping his tone respectful. "But if it’s allowed, I would like to ask Sylph a few questions of my own."
Then Seraphis nodded. "Very well. Proceed."
Lake exhaled slightly in relief before turning to Sylph.
"Sylph," he asked carefully, "when you say you love me, what do you mean by that?"
Her bright, clear eyes locked onto his, unblinking. He could feel the sincerity in them, radiating like an unfiltered truth.
"I mean exactly that," she said matter-of-factly. "I love you."
Lake barely suppressed a groan.
"And how long have you felt this way?" he pressed, determined to get to the root of this.
Sylph pursed her lips, her head tilting in contemplation. "...Ever since I met you, I think?"
Elder Summer chuckled softly. Elder Rain folded his arms, his expression unreadable. Elder Seraphis’ gaze remained steady.
Lake, meanwhile, felt the overwhelming urge to slam his head against the nearest wall.
"...And what makes you love me, specifically?"
Sylph hesitated for the first time, her brows furrowing slightly. "That’s... a little hard to explain."
Lake sensed an opportunity and pressed gently, "Sylph, I’d really like to understand. Please, tell me."
Sylph placed a thoughtful finger to her lips before speaking again. "...I guess it’s because I feel comfortable around you? Being near you reminds me of the Great Forest."
A weighty silence settled over the room.
Expressions shifted subtly—surprise, melancholy, and something unspoken in the elders’ eyes.
Lake knew about the Great Forest. Sylph had mentioned it once before—the home of fairies and elves, a sanctuary of magic and life. A place that had been lost, reduced to ash in the continental war.
"...Sylph," Seraphis said gently, "is that truly how you feel?"
Sylph nodded softly, her long, pointed ears drooping slightly.
A quiet understanding passed between the elders.
Seraphis exhaled, his expression contemplative. "Then I believe we can put this matter to rest. Clearly, Sylph has taken a strong liking to the boy. And given our current relationship with the human race... it may not be a bad thing for them to grow closer. Wouldn’t you agree?"
Elder Rain’s frown lingered before he relented with a nod. "It was unexpected, but if this is how she feels, we will not interfere."
"Fufufu, I also have no objections," Summer added, turning toward the twins. "And you two?"
Bramble smiled, his tone smooth. "Naturally. Seeing Sylph happy is enough for me."
Elder Rain snorted slightly, unimpressed by his diplomacy.
Iris, however, kept her head lowered. Her hands clenched slightly, her wings trembling.
"...Iris?" Summer prompted.
"...I have no objections." The words came out stiff, strained. Her wings drooped, her energy visibly drained.
Lake watched her carefully, noting the deep conflict flickering beneath her composed facade.
"Well, why don’t we move on to discuss something else while we’re here?" Seraphis began. "Although we got sidetracked, our original intention for coming here was to check up on you and hear about your recent school experience. Why don’t you tell us about it?"
"Yes, that’s right. I heard you also had a hunting exam recently and that all of you were disqualified due to misconduct. I’d like to hear exactly what happened—from you." Elder Rain’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
Lake noticed Iris and Bramble both shiver under its weight, like cats whose tails had been stepped on.
Although they had ended the discussion about Sylph, Lake couldn’t shake the feeling that this conversation was far from over.
An hour later, the group walked out of the room, the atmosphere heavier than when they had entered. Even the fairies, whose wings typically fluttered with weightless grace, now held them stiffly folded behind their backs. Their shoulders slumped, their steps sluggish.
Lake, too, felt drained—not physically, but mentally. Even though he wasn’t a member of their race, the elders had treated him the same, tearing into him like a pack of hungry hyenas, picking apart every single flaw in their operation.
Sylph walked just a step behind, her usually bright eyes dulled as she stared vacantly ahead. Even her ears, which often twitched with curiosity, drooped slightly.
This was the result of having to sit through an hour-long rant from three old fogies.
Still, Lake knew he couldn’t just leave now and return to his dorm to rest, as much as he wanted to. He still needed to sort things out with Sylph.
Although she had made her stance clear earlier, he had yet to give his own.
Before he could finish speaking, Iris suddenly jumped forward, grabbing Sylph by the arm and dashing off down the corridor.
"I-Iris..." Sylph called out listlessly, barely resisting as Iris effortlessly dragged her away with one hand.
"Come with me! There’s something I want to discuss in private!"
Sylph tried to stop her, but Iris showed no sign of slowing down, turning a corner and disappearing from sight.
Lake let out a long sigh before turning around and walking in the opposite direction.
Soon after, he, too, left—leaving Bramble behind.
Unable to resist, Bramble let out a small, yet elegant chuckle.
Being the only one among them able to see the situation for what it was, he couldn’t help but find the current web of misunderstandings amusing.
"I wonder what I could do to make this even more interesting~" he murmured to himself in his native tongue.
Suddenly, an idea came to mind.
"That’s right. That second-year girl was teaching me about that ’social media app’ before. I should ask her how to use it."