When the black-haired boy walked up and stood in front of Eve, there was a height difference. Eve's eye level was around the boy's lips.
Eve dispersed the magical wind that had been blocking sound. Then she could smell the boy's sweat.
Catching that scent, she unconsciously lowered her gaze slightly. She could see his sturdy body, not fully concealed by clothes. It was a body reminiscent of a leopard.
A thought suddenly occurred to her that it would feel stone-hard if touched. What would it really feel like? Eve unconsciously reached out her hand. Truly without any other intention, it was purely out of curiosity and exploratory spirit.
"Lady Eve?"
The boy called Eve with a puzzled expression. Only then did Eve come to her senses and hastily withdrew her hand that was about to touch the boy's body.
"Uh, what?"
Hiding the hand she had extended behind her back, Eve maintained a casual expression as if nothing had happened.
"What brings you here?"
"Ah... Just? I heard about your eccentricity. They say you eat Bakto because you're immersed in some game called martial arts? So I came to see what kind of game it is."
Even as she spoke, Eve did not look at the boy's eyes. No matter how much she tried not to be conscious of it, her gaze kept dropping downward.
"I see."
The boy seemed to think about something for a moment, then asked.
"I've heard that Elves consider Bakto lowly. I wonder if my eating Bakto might tarnish your dignity as the one caring for me?"
"No. That doesn't matter. Whatever you eat."
"I see. That's a relief."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Mm."
"..."
The conversation broke off and an awkward silence ensued. The boy, who had expected more questions about martial arts, tilted his head while looking at Eve, who seemed distracted for some reason.
"Well, I'll be going now."
"...? Oh, yes."
The boy looked at Eve with a puzzled face as she suddenly came and suddenly left.
※※※
Eve, who had left the boy's quarters, returned to her throne. As she sat quietly on her throne, Elves soon came to report various matters.
She listened to these reports and, as the High Elf queen, went out to defeat the magical beasts that were destroying the forest.
All trees in the forest were like manifestations of Mother Divine Tree. Destroying them was equivalent to harming Mother Divine Tree.
That was why Mother Divine Tree had given the mission to the High Elves to cultivate and protect the forest.
"Tsk. These magical beasts are endless no matter how many we kill. It's so annoying."
Goblins, Orcs, Ogres. Magical beasts created by demonic flames molding ashes. They were obsessed with burning the forest. It was to make offerings to the demonic flames by burning trees.
These ugly green baldies had always one disgusting desire: to use all the trees of the forest, and Mother Divine Tree herself, as firewood to summon the demonic flames.
Kuoooooo!
As she raised formidable magical force, a whirlwind swept through. The rocks of the forest rose to form the shape of giants. The river water surged and flowed like a snake.
Soon, following her gestures, the rock giants beat the Ogres to death. The river water swallowed the Orcs and drowned them. The fierce whirlwind tore the Goblins to pieces.
The numerous magical beasts that had been spewing fire and burning the forest were annihilated at once.
"To think that I have to personally deal with such trivial things. If it were another brother or sister, they would have roughly delegated this level of task to the nobles."
Being so busy with work, Eve completely forgot about seeing the boy's bare body. She traveled around the forest busily and returned to the palace late at night.
"Your Majesty. Your meal..."
"I'm not hungry. Take it away."
After a simple bath, she lay in bed and tried to sleep.
But when she closed her eyes, she suddenly thought of that gross body she had seen earlier that day. That body that gave off an animal-like feeling.
"..."
Eve frowned and opened her eyes. The memory of seeing something so gross made her sleep completely disappear.
She tossed and turned, trying to sleep again. But that gross thing kept coming to mind and disturbing her sleep.
In the end, she had to toss and turn all night with wide-open eyes.
"Your Majesty. You're up early today. Your meal..."
"Not interested."
After dawn, she sat on her throne as usual and listened to what the Elves reported.
The Elves could handle magical beasts of small scale by themselves, but she had to personally deal with magical beasts of large scale.