040
“Wait, is Joy older than Mr. Carmen?!”
“Joy, how old are you?”
“I’m over a hundred years old.”
“Huh?!”
Impossible!
But Joy didn’t seem to be lying.
“I’m not human. But I’m not an elf either. Elves live for at least 500 years.”
“Th-Then, Joy is…?”
“Half-elves have an average lifespan of about 200 to 300 years. That’s why I still look young.”
Oh my goodness.
Should I call her a grandmother?
‘But she looks just like a child on the outside.’
She looks just like brother’s Elzen.
“Hoo, I see. My apologies for the rudeness.”
“Hmph.”
Mr. Carmen’s eyes sparkled, while Joy let out a snicker.
I was already completely captivated by Joy. The fact that she was over a hundred years old seemed truly amazing!
“To think you’ve found a half-elf over a hundred years old! This is a moment that will go down in history!”
Next to them, Teacher Cedric was clapping his hands enthusiastically.
[The Spirit King of Fortune ‘■■■■■■’ murmurs.]
[Admirable effort, Cedric…]
It was at that moment.
Knock, knock.
A light knock came from the door, which had been left open because so many people had been coming in.
Everyone except Joy, who was focused on strawberries, turned to look.
And there stood…
“Brother Elzen!”
“You look healthy. I’m relieved.”
His light pink hair, just like mine, was soaked with cold sweat. His long eyelashes twitched slightly, showing the strain on his face.
His face was pale white, and with great effort, brother Elzen slowly walked in.
“I’m glad. I was worried. I couldn’t even come looking for you because I wasn’t feeling well…”
“Are you okay, brother? Are you okay?”
I was pulled into a tight hug and could feel the uneven rhythm of his heartbeat, making me frown with concern.
Looking closely, I could see that his shoulders, arms, and legs were trembling slightly.
Brother Elzen looked much sicker than the last time I had seen him.
“Second Young Master, please have a seat,”
Mr. Carmen offered worriedly, gesturing toward a chair.
But brother Elzen stubbornly shook his head.
“I can stand. I need to practice standing.”
“Second Young Master…”
“It’s just the distance from my room to here. I’m not so weak that I can’t even handle that—”
Hack!
Brother Elzen suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood before he could even finish his sentence.
Seeing this, I opened my eyes wide in shock and shouted, “Blood!” At the same time, Joy, who had been munching on a strawberry, raised her head.
“Huh.”
“………!”
At that moment, I had no idea what was happening.
One second.
In that brief instant, I noticed only one thing — Joy and brother Elzen locked eyes.
That was all I knew.
A sweet scent suddenly filled the air.
It smelled like a mix of ripe melon and peach, sweet and tangy all at once.
At the same time, a faint glow began to seep out from around brother Elzen.
The light eventually formed a ring symbolizing infinity and extended toward Joy.
‘Wow… it’s beautiful.’
The transparent ring shimmered with multicolored sparkles like jewel dust. The ring soon turned red, then transformed into a thread that connected their pinky fingers.
Although it all happened in an instant, it felt as if time had stretched on forever.
“Oh my! W-Wait. How is this even possible?!”
“This is… Oh my God.”
“Your Excellency! Is anyone outside?! Bring His Excellency here immediately!! It’s urgent!”
Mr. Carmen’s voice was filled with urgency. Teacher Cedric, too, covered his mouth with one hand, stunned.
It seemed I was the only one who didn’t know what was going on.
But after a few seconds, I finally understood as well.
‘Bijou!’
A dazzling light sparkled beneath brother Elzen’s right eye, and a beautiful, jewel-like mark resembling a diamond slowly emerged.
At the same time, the same light flickered under Joy’s left eye, revealing an identical mark.
‘It’s a star shape. It’s so, so pretty.’
For some reason, I felt short of breath and couldn’t say a word.
This was probably what people meant when they said something was ‘breathtakingly beautiful.’
My heart throbbed so hard I didn’t know what to do.
‘So this is what an imprint is!’
It was far more beautiful than I had ever imagined.
Although the glowing thread that had connected their pinky fingers disappeared, the Bijou under their eyes continued to shine.
The glow was so dazzling that it was impossible to look away.
“You… it was you.”
After a long silence, brother Elzen finally spoke.
His voice cracked as if he were holding back tears.
“I was born to meet you.”
Oh, my heart thudded.
I quickly covered my mouth with both hands.
My small heart kept pounding, thump-thump, over and over again.
“What’s your name?”
“Elzen. Elzen Pashayen.”
“I am Joy, the 89th descendant of the weeping oak.”
So, the two of them were partners. Destined soulmates!
While secretly observing the two, something suddenly came to mind.
That thing I had bought from the Spirit King of Emotions!
[The Spirit King of Emotions ‘■■■’ puffs up with pride.]
[I told you, didn’t I? I said I’d make it happen.]
Wow!
So it really did work!
“What’s going on?”
The two of them, who had been gazing at each other as if no one else existed, finally broke their gaze when the Admiral arrived.
“Father.”
Upon seeing the shining Bijou marks on brother Elzen and Joy, the Admiral was at a loss for words for a long time.
Then, after some time, he finally spoke.
“Could it be… is this miracle I’m seeing really real?”
“Yes, it is.”
Brother Elzen held Joy’s hand.
Joy also gripped brother Elzen’s hand tightly.
It was as if no one could ever pull them apart. They stood side by side, looking at the Admiral.
“A miracle has happened. A miracle… And once again, it’s all thanks to the little Shupetty.”
Brother Elzen glanced back at me, his expression softening. His body also wavered, as if he had reached his limit.
Thud.
He nearly collapsed, but it was Joy who caught him, holding him in her arms.
Her two pointy ears flushed red, and she spoke.
“I never imagined I’d meet my partner here, but it happened.”
Once again, the two of them gazed only at each other.
A perfect circle.
A world where there was no room for anyone else to intervene.
Inside that space, the two of them looked so incredible and enviable.
‘I wonder if I’ll ever meet someone like that someday.’
It would be so nice if I could choose a partner.
If I could, I’d choose Lacifer.
I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful than Lacifer.
“Shupetty, are you a gift from the sea? How is it that you keep bringing us nothing but blessings?”
The Admiral lowered himself and hugged me tightly. I grinned happily.
The Admiral’s back seemed to tremble slightly, so I reached out with effort and hugged him tightly.
“Then, does that mean brother Elzen won’t be sick anymore?”
I really hope so!
Before anyone else could answer, Joy spoke up.
“Yes. The moment I saw it, I knew. It’s reflux disease, isn’t it?”
“………!”
“I have a long lifespan. And now that I’ve met my partner, I have no reason to live that long life alone. I’ll share my lifespan with him and grow old and die together.”
Her words were a firm declaration, cutting off anything brother Elzen might have been about to say.
Hearing this, the Admiral gently set me down and stood up.
“Thank you.”
I was startled to see the Admiral bow deeply in gratitude.
[The Spirit King of Water ‘■■■■’ bursts into tears.]
[Thank goodness… Thank goodness. I’m so relieved. Elzen won’t have to go to the sea. He won’t have to go too soon.]
[The Spirit King of Fire ‘■■■■■’ blows its nose.]
[Ahem, I’m not crying.]
[The Spirit King of Emotions ‘■■■’ begins to wail.]
[Waaah! Love! Only love can save the world!]
The Spirit Kings were in such an uproar that the glittering text scrolled by so fast it made me a little dizzy.
I plopped down onto the carpet with a big grin and threw my hands in the air.
“Our family just got bigger!”
After all, a precious partner is family too.
“What’s going on here? Why are your Bijous showing… Huh?!”
Brother Mikard, who had arrived late, saw the situation and gasped in shock, looking as if he might faint.
Next, Ilyad and Naiad entered. Upon seeing the Bijous of brother Elzen and Joy, they were at a complete loss for words.
It was a day so full of emotions that it felt like my heart might overflow with stardust spilling everywhere.
