"Carol...," a faint call easily overlooked resounded, reaching Carol’s ears and leaving her momentarily speechless.
The voice was filled with barely noticeable distress and grievance.
Carol could see Merica, who had been with Shane and the others, her delicate face completely lost and on the verge of tears.
One could imagine the complex emotions that must have been flooding Merica’s heart at that moment.
And that was only natural.
After all, Shane and his companions had been Merica’s invited guests, yet they were ruthlessly turned away at the door by someone who had been like a sister to her, teaching her the basics of magic, even preparing to drive them away from here. Merica’s feelings were all too clear.
On the one hand was the guest she had invited, among them even the man she held dear. On the other hand were her kin, akin to blood relatives. How could Merica not feel at a loss and troubled by being caught between the two?
To make matters worse, Merica had tried to intervene, tried to explain, only to be sharply interrupted before she could even finish her sentences.
This, naturally, left Merica extremely anxious, so much so that she was on the brink of tears, to the extent that she couldn’t even respond in time to greet the Elf Queen when she appeared.
This rendered Carol speechless and silent.
In fact, from her standpoint, everything she had done was not wrong.
To prevent any accidents or anomalies for the Elf Clan, for the Elf Country, her actions were understandable.
But was Shane at fault?
He was merely a visitor, here to enjoy the scenic beauties, not asking for anything. Yet he had been rejected without reason, and given his hot temper, he would naturally not say a thing, preferring to come on strong first and discuss later.
Of course, this was someone else’s territory, and it was their right not to let him in. Since there was no enmity or grudge, it wasn’t worth making too much of a scene.
Thus, Shane’s intention was to blunt their edge and take his leave after letting off steam, and simply go elsewhere to enjoy himself.
Only, such an action would surely make Merica feel sad and upset.
That was why Shane was planning to have a proper discussion with this so-called Vice Division Commander, and incidentally verify that his own magic progress was not inconsiderable.
Who would have thought that Elf Queen Sophie would suddenly appear and prevent the situation from escalating?
Since neither party was in the wrong, the intervention of Elf Queen Sophie became particularly important.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have come to a slaughter today, but a minor skirmish would have certainly ensued.
Carol was no fool and could see Shane’s intent at this moment.
Otherwise, if Shane truly wanted to fight, he would not have stopped Lilith just now, and the outcome would have been more than just the destruction of a "Pure Flower Curtain."
"...I understand," Carol finally broke her long silence, nodded in acknowledgment of the situation, and stepped aside.
Her attitude expressed acceptance of how the matter was resolved, without admitting any mistake on her part.
As she had shown, she was someone somewhat rigid and resistant to change, yet for the sake of the Elf Clan and the Elf Country, she could be utterly impartial.
Therefore, even seeing Merica’s heartbroken expression, Carol said nothing more.
Sophie, of course, was well aware of Carol’s personality.
At that moment, Sophie did not have much to say, simply turning her gaze to Merica.
"The guests you’ve brought back are very impressive, Merica," Sophie said soothingly, "The gains from your years of experience outside must have been significant. You must tell me all about it later, alright?"
Sophie spoke without a hint of royal arrogance, gently and amiably engaging with Merica like a child.
But this was also Sophie’s heartfelt sentiment.
Indeed, the progress Merica had made was so significant that it surprised Sophie.
At the very least, when Sophie felt Merica’s Magic Power, she found it hard to believe that in less than two years of her sojourn, Merica’s Magic Power had increased so much.
Why had her Magic Power surged so much even though her Level had not increased significantly?
And why did this Magic Power feel tinged with someone else’s Qi?
Sophie looked pensive as she glanced from Merica to Shane, wondering.
In contrast, it was only then that Merica, flustered, knelt on one knee before Sophie and offered her the gesture of a subject.
"Queen," Merica addressed Sophie, "Mr. Shane truly means no harm to the Elf Country, please believe me."
Merica persisted in pleading Shane’s case.
Her somewhat desperate demeanor moved even Shane.
Sophie too seemed taken aback.
After all, members of the Elf Clan naturally harbored a wariness towards males of Alien Races, and even those who were inherently kind and innocent seldom went to such lengths to intercede for a male of an Alien Race, a phenomenon unheard of in the Elf Clan.
For Merica to go to such lengths for that Shane meant she deeply valued him, to the point where it was possible...
A certain speculation flashed through Sophie’s mind, and she couldn’t help but smile wryly.
This, apparently, was not necessarily a good thing.
As matters stood, most elven love affairs couldn’t culminate in fruition; even if they didn’t end tragically, they were unlikely to bear good fruit.
As the Queen of the Elf Clan, Sophie had seen her share of elves embroiled in love. Yet in thousands of years, almost none had met with a happy ending.