At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 127

As Jiwoo observed the long ears that lay back in concentration, she drifted back to sleep. So, she had fallen ill quite suddenly and had been in and out of consciousness for several days.

Most of the time, she either slept or remained in a daze, hardly aware of who was beside her.

She didn’t remember how long anyone stayed. The only thing that registered when she regained a bit of awareness was the sight of long ears—symbols of her husbands—now familiar enough for her to guess their emotions just by looking at them.

When she finally managed to get out of bed, she couldn’t tell how many days had passed. The time was dim and shrouded in mist. A low, cold voice, like that of dawn, woke her.

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Oh, yes… thanks to you.”

Helka took her hand, and Jiwoo carefully lifted herself up.

She still felt a bit hazy, but it seemed she was improving.

“I was worried.”

“It’s okay. Thank you.”

He held her hand for quite a while as he gently stroked her palm, choosing his words carefully.

Typically, they only engaged in serious conversations when there was something important to discuss, and this was one of those times. Helka often guessed what Jiwoo was curious about and was usually right.

“Through our tree, a female manifestation is about to appear. It seems that energy has clashed with Akarna.”

She had wondered why she felt unwell, believing Akarna couldn’t get sick, but this explanation made sense. It was surprising how Callan had realized she was in pain.

However, the cause of this revelation was somewhat astonishing.

“A female manifestation is going to appear?”

“Yes… In truth, this shouldn’t be happening, but there are definite signs now.”

Helka appeared unusually tense.

That was strange. Wasn’t the appearance of a female manifestation a good thing for them? After all, they could communicate with the tree and help it thrive.

And if it was born from this tree…

“Then, will a sibling… be born?”

“No. The female manifestation is not our sibling. They do not share the same origin as us.”

Helka spoke cautiously, as if it was unthinkable to say otherwise.

She had heard that they are born when the tree is fully grown. If they’re not siblings, then what should they be called?

“For instance, you, as an Akarna, appeared in the temple of Caranazion.”

“Yes.”

“Were the people guarding the temple your siblings or family?”

“No…”

Although they could have potentially become family, that was all ruined in Caranazion.

So, the idea that a female manifestation is ‘born’ through the tree seems somewhat misleading. Yet, she couldn’t understand why Helka was so tense about this.

“Isn’t it a good thing, though? You said they appear when the tree is fully grown.”

“Dear, our Ellandos has not fully matured yet. It has only lived for about two thousand years.”

“…What?”

“I mentioned it last time, was it new information?”

“No, I was surprised you just called me ‘dear.’”

“Yes.”

Helka smiled and tilted his head slightly.

“Because we’re married.”

“That’s true, but…”

Suddenly?

As Jiwoo looked flustered, Helka averted his gaze and pretended to be dejected.

“Do you not allow it?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Something felt off, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It was true they were married, and he had playfully used such terms since they arrived here. Regardless, it felt out of place to pop up in this conversation, but it wasn’t incorrect and didn’t warrant further argument, so Jiwoo returned to the previous topic.

“Anyway, is the arrival of a female manifestation not as good as I think?”

‘Is the female manifestation a burden?’

It seemed like his attitude had shifted, and he was quite tense.

The female manifestation here was not just someone of higher status; she was a fundamentally different existence. Jiwoo felt she could understand this a little after meeting one, but it might be a more serious concept for them.

“It is indeed a good thing. That’s why we have preparations to make.”

“Well, since it’s a precious guest, I should help, right?”

“There’s no need for you to help. We’ll handle it ourselves.”

Even after saying that, Helka remained lost in thought for a while.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen Helka so deeply troubled..’

His reaction seemed overly worried, making Jiwoo feel restless as well.

“On the contrary, you might receive a gift from her.”

“Really?”

That sounded promising, but Helka’s expression grew darker.

* * *

“You really don’t need to help. It would be better if you didn’t.”

In the end, it was Callan who provided the explanation when he arrived.

Whenever there was a misunderstanding between different species, he always seemed to be the one called upon to clarify. While there were others who might know more than Callan, Enci had explained things too much, and Helka often left out crucial details. Callan was the perfect fit for the role.

“To put it simply… in the Empire, does the head of the family prepare the food when hosting guests?”

Jiwoo pondered for a moment before shaking her head.

At noble gatherings, it was usually the matriarch of the family who led the event rather than the direct representative. Of course, she may have overseen the process, but the actual work was carried out by the servants.

However, it seemed that the Empire had its own complexities, so it likely wasn’t a completely contrasting situation.

“We’re the same in that regard. Ah, is it different in the world you originally lived in, rather than in the Empire?”

“Thinking back, it wasn’t much different there either.”

“Right?”

It felt like a valid point, yet it also seemed strangely off.

But wasn’t this, in a way, a meeting between representatives of different groups?

Was the culture here different? She wasn’t sure.

Regardless, she didn’t feel inclined to argue against the idea.