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-What if?

Mirabelle smiled sardonically and spoke what she really thought in her heart.

‘There are no ifs in life. There’s only ice-cold reality, that’s all. You should know that already as well? Even so, there are always interesting surprises when imagining what might happen, right?’

Kirsten slowly walked down several steps with hands behind her back.

Naturally, Mirabelle followed closely after her.

‘I suppose so, imagination is free indeed…’

However, Mirabelle seemed to recall something. Her long blue hair covered both her eyes, which possessed a dark expression.

“Only imagination can become freedom…”

Mirabelle spoke in a sad tone as she gazed up at the blue sky.

“Don’t have such a dark expression. Let me speak about my imagined development. Cough cough, Mirabelle became the elven queen, and then met Kirsten Raphael and became companions. Congratulations, congratulations.”
“You’re so bad at storytelling. You didn’t even explain the beginning, end, or sequence of events…”
“Eh? Is that so? I clearly feel like it’s such a moving tale?”
“That’s moving? Hah~ I really don’t know what to do with you. First of all, how did I meet you after I became the queen…?”

Kirsten’s mouth arched upwards in a smile as she looked at Mirabelle’s slightly anxious face. It seemed that she had succeeded in distracting Mirabelle’s attention.

Kirsten was that type of gentle person. She didn’t want to see a sad expression on Mirabelle’s face, which was why she intentionally told such a terrible story.

Time passed by quite swiftly as the two of them slowly discussed the imagined future in their minds. This hope-filled topic continued all the way down the mountain.

“That’s why that can be called perfect…”
“Yeah, Mirabelle is so right, everything that Mirabelle says is right…”
“I keep feeling like you’re making fun of me. I have this strange sensation. Still, forget it, since I’m really happy today.”
“No need to pay attention to such details. Since you’re happy, we should hurry home…”

Mirabelle met Reyne on the street on the way home. Kirsten didn’t expect that these two elves who didn’t get along at all would meet each other here.

Both Mirabelle and Reyne stood on the road and looked at each other without moving.

Since Kirsten was already doing so much for Mirabelle, how could Mirabelle possibly retreat? Thus, Mirabelle also stared at Reyne with an expression that said she wouldn’t back down.

However, before Mirabelle could say anything, Kirsten stepped in front of Mirabelle.

“Reyne, please stop bothering Mirabelle. Mirabelle is my best friend, so if you’re enemies with her, that’s the same as being enemies with me… Don’t mind her, and let’s go home, Mirabelle.”
“Kirsten! What did you say just now?”
“What I mean is that I’m going to team up with Mirabelle Brillana to join the hunting competition. We’ll be enemies at that time, so please don’t hold back. I won’t be holding back either.”

Kirsten turned around and spoke to Reyne in a severe tone. Kirsten’s tone contained unconcealed hostility towards Reyne.

“Why? Why team up with her? You’re actually saying that you’re going to team up with such a weak outsider like her!”
“Calm down, Reyne…”

Reyne raised her bow and shot an arrow towards Mirabelle. Mirabelle didn’t try to dodge, nor did she have any fear. The arrow passed right by her cheek.

Mirabelle spoke in a really calm tone, “I’m no longer afraid of you. Come at me…”

“!!!!”

Reyne was so angry that she gritted her teeth while nocking another arrow. This time, she aimed directly for Mirabelle’s head.

However, two people separately took action before she could shoot again.

One was Kirsten Raphael, who used her own body to protect Mirabelle.

The other was Mia Tatar, who directly jumped in front of Reyne and stole her bow and arrows.

“Calm down, Reyne Miren, do you want to become a murderer in front of the whole town!?”

After hearing Mia’s reminder, Reyne finally noticed that there were many elves around who were watching this scene.

“Hmph…”

Reyne had an incredibly displeased expression. After Mia stole her bow, she immediately turned around and ran back towards her own home.

“Hah… I really don’t know what to do with her…”

Mia sighed deeply after seeing that Reyne ran off.

Kirsten came over to Mia’s side and asked, “Are you okay? Mia…”

“It’s fine, leave this to me. You guys should go back now. Rest assured, I won’t allow Reyne to do something so dangerous again. Also, you guys don’t need to pay attention to what she said. She shot at you because she was too angry. I sincerely apologize on her behalf…”

Mia kept bowing in apology towards Mirabelle and Kirsten.

“No need. She was just angry. There were no victims anyways… it would be a lie to say that I didn’t mind, but I would have been fine even if she hit me with the arrow.”

Mirabelle said that because she knew it was impossible for her to die even if she wanted to.

“Thank you. You’re so gentle, Mirabelle. Kirsten and you are such a good match together. You guys should go back now…”

Mia bowed one last time to them and remained where she stood.

Mirabelle and Kirsten turned around to walk towards their home.

“Mia and Reyne seem to have a good relationship…”
“Yeah, since they grew up together as childhood friends. Rather than that, were you injured? Did that arrow just now hurt you?”

However, Mirabelle showed a relaxed smile.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m incredibly good. She also missed me on purpose, and wasn’t trying to kill me…”

Mirabelle had previously sensed what real killing intent was at close distance from a certain girl named Heather Alliyah.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect that she would do something as extreme as shooting an arrow at you.”

Kirsten honestly apologized to Mirabelle who was next to her. She hadn’t carried out her responsibility to protect Mirabelle.

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault. But, can I ask what happened between you and Reyne before?”
“That… can I tell you after we return home?”

Kirsten glanced all around her as many bystanders looked at them. That was why she felt too awkward to explain here.

“Is… is that so? I understand…”

Kirsten pulled on Mirabelle’s wrist and slowly ran towards home.

At the same time, Mia had someone deal with the situation back at the scene. She then ran all the way to Reyne’s home. Mia entered Reyne’s home with great familiarity. The home seemed to be empty like normal. When Mia entered Reyne’s room, she saw that Reyne was lying facedown on the bed.

“Reyne, are… are you alright?”
“I’m fine. If you’re here to see what a joke I am, then please go back…”

Reyne laid face down on her bed while shouting in a muffled tone. However, Mia looked at Reyne with a really worried expression.

“You… don’t need to be so heartbroken, do you? If you’re heartbroken, I also…”
“Just what do you even understand!? What do you even understand!? I thought that I would have a chance to be together with Kirsten, but it’s all ruined because that child appeared. That child must have done it on purpose!”
“No, Mirabelle’s not that type of person…”
“How is she not!? Regardless, she stole the person that I love the most! It’s all her fault!”

Reyne was crying as she raised her head to look at Mia. Mia’s face became instantly covered in dark shadows. She gritted her teeth out of fury and also appeared to be really angry.

“It’s all her fault that I…”

Mia walked over to Reyne, who was still laying down on the bed. Reyne instantly felt a hot sensation on her face. She returned to her senses and noticed that she had been slapped. Reyne’s furious gaze met Mia’s eyes, which were filled with tears.

“You focused entirely on Kirsten, but have you ever understood others’ feelings? Reyne Miren, isn’t it because you’re cowardly and unwilling to try and fight for what you want that it’s become like this now!?”
“Mia… you…”
“Hmph…”

Mia tossed Reyne’s bow and arrows onto the ground and then immediately ran off while in tears.

“Mia, what is this? Even you don’t understand my feelings? I thought that you were my best friend who would understand my feelings the most!”

Reyne laid down on her bed again as she recalled her experience from that time. At this moment, Mirabelle and Kirsten were talking while sitting at the dining table.

“And then? Just what connection does Reyne have with you…?”
“It’s not actually much of a connection. On one day, a certain little princess who wasn’t obedient ended up leaving her home. At the time, she ran outside of the safe district…”
“And that little princess was Reyne Miren?”
“You might not believe it to hear this, but she’s the daughter of an elder, which was why I called her a little princess…”

Mirabelle could pretty much guess the result after Kirsten told her this.

“I see. Since that’s the case, I mostly understand the overall picture now. You were the one who saved that little pwincess?”
“Little pwincess!? What does that mean?”
“Well, it’s kind of like a local dialect. That’s not important. You just need to know that Reyne is that type of lady. Besides, that’s not what you should be wanting to ask, is it?”
“Hmm? What else can I even ask apart from that?”

Mirabelle had a helpless expression as things weren’t going as she expected.

“Shouldn’t you have a look of astonishment while asking, ‘How did you know such a thing?’ Don’t you feel like that at all?”
“No… for some reason, I don’t feel too surprised, because I have a feeling in my heart that you can guess everything that I’ve done. Just like how you’re familiar with me, I’m also familiar with you…”
“Ah… is that so?”

Mirabelle lowered her reddened face in embarrassment after Kirsten said that she understood Mirabelle.

Mutual understanding and mutual trust. Wasn’t this at the level that only lovers could achieve?

“However, Mirabelle was slightly wrong about guessing the details. Indeed, I saved her, and I was injured in the process. My injury is on my back, and I think you’ve seen it before?”

Indeed, Mirabelle had seen an injury on Kirsten’s back – such a large injury left behind on her tender skin. Mirabelle really couldn’t forgive it.

“A magical beast did that to you while you were trying to protect Reyne?”
“…”

Kirsten nodded without a word as she unhesitatingly admitted it.

Mirabelle widened her eyes when she heard this. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails sunk deeply into her palms.

“You… you need to value yourself more. You’re my… um… savior…”
“I suppose so, I saved Mirabelle’s life, so I’m waiting for Mirabelle to pay me back…”

Kirsten smiled as she said this.