The first time I was confessed to was in middle school. She was the cla.s.s representative and I was the vice representative. We could always help teachers run errands, remind our cla.s.smates to hand up their homework, organise the cla.s.s for gymnastics, sports festivals, school festivals and many other school events together. I feel a deep camaraderie with her from slogging it out, much like that of a war comrade. But then at the cla.s.s gathering on the day of graduation, she confessed to me, and only then did I find out that her affection level had promoted from war comrades. I rejected her, for some reason I can no longer remember; I only remember how sad she looked as she kept crying, her eyes red and puffy like walnuts. After that, she deleted me from her life and blocked out all contact, and we never spoke again.

(TL: This sounds way too real… Like the author’s own experience)

How do I reject her so I don’t make Tess as sad as Cla.s.s Representative.

I spied on Tess’s sleeping face with the help of moonlight as I pondered this quandary.

“…”

… Right, I’m currently sleeping with Tess on the same bed. Because she stays alone, there is only one bed and no spare mattress, but it’s not like I can’t sleep on the floor. The problem is a lack of blankets, what if I catch a cold, and even without blankets, what if I get bitten by crawling insects.

I know no defence is tenable, but please believe me when I say I hesitated for a very long while, at least as long as half an hour, as Tess pulled me into bed… Before agreeing. I had already been sharing a bed with Tess when I fell dead asleep after the Oracle Plenary, so another day should be nothing… I just need to steel my heart! In Buddhism, monks had been forced into eating meat to save people but they did so as it was the right thing to do, yeah this is something like that!

(TL: The story goes that there was some robber who chased some folk into a temple. The monk there gave them shelter. The robber barged in and tried to get the monk to release them, he did not kill the monk as he owed the monk favours. The monk naturally refused and the robber said he would give up if the monk ate meat and drank liquor. As he did so, he uttered the phrase which is used here: 酒肉穿肠过佛祖心头坐. Of course, many variations of both the phrase and story exist but the plot is more or less the same)

I was a wreck of nerves and couldn’t close my eyes.

I was deeply afraid that if I lost myself to sleep, I might do something in a drowsy state where my inhibitions would be lost. Tess, however, was long in slumber facing the me who was a nervous idiot.

Tess isn’t the first girl to sleep with me. The first was Shuoxue. Every night in school, I always stuff her into the sheath and lock her in the wardrobe but when I wake up the next morning, I will always find her in loli form beneath the covers. While she does irritate me with her horrible sleeping habits, I don’t take notice of anything in oarticular unlike now, with Tess, where I feel like my heart is about to break out of the rib cage.
I kept sneaking peeks at her, and get more nervous with every peek, but I just can’t move my line of sight away.

She really is a work of art, so exquisitely beautiful, how can one not take more glances.
She has the most n.o.ble of births, so much so that any human king will kneel before her; her magic is strong beyond comparison, able to defeat me without even using an attack; she is unaware of worldly affairs, not knowing what it means to be drunk, nor what is the appropriate distance between men and women; she has also loved me for a while, and knows every single thing there is to know about me since I’ve come to this world.

She probably knows I love Tina.

And probably knows that no matter how much I may hesitate, I will reject her in the end.

She’s probably pretty lonely, staying here alone, surrounded by thick forests. Including Jack, the other elves all live in the perimeter of the forest, while she lives in a big house in its depths, and spends her time idling alone brewing her own tea blends, and watching the sun set and birds fly here and there. One day, she dreams of a boy who idles around with no ambitions, her dreams are like a serial and she sees every facet of his life, as though she were right beside him. She finally feels like she isn’t alone, that someone is beside her; and slowly, she falls in love.

Tess slept very well, and I could see a faint smile from her slightly curled lips, maybe she is dreaming of me again. How narcissistic of me, I thought as I laughed soundlessly at myself.

That G.o.d of fate, why did he have to choose me, choose someone better d.a.m.n it. He has to be handsome, tall, single with no abnormal fetishes… He must fall for Tess at first sight and be 100% faithful. He must be willing to live with her in the deep forests where no one else is around; and chat with her, comb her hair and do all the household ch.o.r.es for her. He must do all that and more, since Tess is a such a wonderful world cla.s.s treasure. That stupid G.o.d! If it were me, I’d definitely pick such such a guy, and then I’ll encourage Tess to s.n.a.t.c.h him off, and form the perfect isolated divine couple.

That stupid stupid G.o.d!

“Master.”

“–!!!!”

I nearly screamed out. The only one who would call me that is Shuoxue, and she was currently leaning at the bedside, sticking her head out and whispering into my ear like a haunting ghost.

“… What are you doing? It’s the middle of the night, go back to your sheath, I’m going to sleep.” I whispered.

“You don’t look like you intend on sleeping with that unceasing l.u.s.tful look at that hairy girl.”

“Who are you calling hairy girl, where are your manners?”

“But master taught me to call people like this? You call that handsome prince blondie, and since this oerson has such long hair, I think hairy girl is very fitting.”

“You are not allowed to call her that! How rude! Be respectful to your elders! Calling William blondie is fine, calling Tess hairy girl isn’t.”

“If we’re talking about age, I’m the elder here! I’m already more than 10,000 years old!”

“You already said you are eternally 12. So next time, please call her sister Tess.”

“Hmph!” Shuoxue rested her chin on the bed and pouted unhappily, “To think that master is scolding me for the sake of a girl he knows for only a few days, I hate you master!”

“Alright alright.” I rub Shuoxue’s head, hoping to soothe her, “What’s the matter anyway, are you hungry? I don’t have blood for you.”

“No, I’m here to remind you not to fall in love with her.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Sister Tess. Even though she isn’t a loli, but master was smiling lewdly at her so I’m afraid you might be moved by your l.u.s.t.”

“Lewd… Lewd my foot!”

So as not to awaken Tess, I suppressed the urge to shout.

I clearly smiled in a manner that was gentlemanly, kind and sophisticated; so much so that you can set a 5 mark reading comprehension question on my smile for test takers to a.n.a.lyse and interpret alright! Why did you interpret it as a lewd smile!

“Don’t fall in love with others! Master!”

“Is it that curse again? No way no, I’m not in love with Tess, no need to worry.”

“Master is such a philanderer, even if sister Tess doesn’t have long to live, I’m still worried.”

I was shocked.

“What’s that about not having long to live?”

Shuoxue blinked, “Her remaining lifespan isn’t long, 10 days more or less, maybe much less.”

“How can that be, Tess is still in the prime of youth.”

But as I recalled that William had told me that every generation of emissaries had short lives, the shadow of doubt in my heart grew.

“I have never been wrong when it comes to gauging people’s lifespans, because my nature is to end them.” Shuoxue said with conviction and sincerity, “Maybe she doesn’t know herself~ But I know, she can only live for 10 days at best. The curse is one thing but I don’t want to see a sad master then. Even though I can take the chance to comfort master when he is sad, not having master be sad is still better…”

Whatever Shuoxue said after that, I could no longer hear anything.

I turned my head back to Tess, but she did not stir and she seemed to be having a good dream. Her expression was tranquil and her fringe parted, revealing the sakura pink mark between her brows.

As morning arrived, the air became cool and fresh. Tess sat up from bed, her hair curling about, and gave small yawns as she tried to clear the sleep away from her mind.

“Good morning.” I greeted her.

“Morning…”

She seemed to suffer from difficult mornings due to slight low blood pressure. The Tess that was hugging her pillow in a daze was cute, too cute. I had an intense urge to rub her head but I held it back.

“Tess-chan~”

(TL: Yes he really uses the j.a.panese honorific)

“Un…”

“I made breakfast, but I only found chicken eggs and there was no kitchen so I could only make 2 fried eggs using a metal wok over a fire. Took me a long while to get everything together, but at least I made it work.”

“…”

“Tess?”

“… Hu…”

“Don’t sleep!”

I s.n.a.t.c.hed her pillow away and she looked up with drowsy eyes as she reached out to s.n.a.t.c.h it back but to no avail as I raised it high above her reach. She tried for a while before giving up, and fell asleep as she hugged me instead, rubbing her face against me.

You really are good at sleeping in huh.

“No, time is money, I can’t let you sleep in today.” I threw the pillow away and shook her by her shoulders, “Wake up wake up.”

“… Molan?”

“It’s good you’re awake. Come, let’s eat breakfast.”

Tess gave a look of surprise as she saw the fried eggs on the table.

“So pretty.”

“They should be not bad, I’m pretty confident in my culinary skills.”

Though frying eggs isn’t hard at all, I wanted to show off just a little in front of Tess. This was the first time cooking something since I came to this world and it was a little nostalgic.

(TL: Molan’s “first time” counter: Ate a girl’s homemade food – 1 point to Tina, slept with a girl – 1 point to Shuoxue, cooked for a girl – 1 point to Tess)

“I haven’t eaten breakfast in a whilr.”

“How long.”

“Several… Years? I always sleep till noon, when the cicadas start crying.”

“So today is an exception huh.”

“Because Molan is here today.” Tess bit into the fried egg, “Tasty, hehe~”

Her smile is really breathtaking, it warms my heart throughout just seeing her smile. Yesterday I even thought about avoiding her smile, but now I only want to see it more.

“Tess.”

“Un?” She replied me instantly as always, even when she had something in her mouth.

“Do you only have a white dress?”

“Un, with G.o.d around, my clothes never get dirty.”

“Don’t you want to wear more beautiful clothes?”

“Eh?”

“And your hair, don’t you feel like it’s a bother? How about changing it to a more fashionable style?”

Tess leaned her head to the side, her face full of doubts.

“Molan do you dislike my hair?”

“And yourself? Do you like it?”

“G.o.d likes it when I wear the dress, and this hair.”

“Don’t care about the fetishes of that G.o.d, would you want to have a more fashionable look, and wear more trendy clothing?”

“I don’t know… G.o.d probably won’t like it.”

“Who cares whether he likes it or not! I’ve been p.i.s.sed with him for a while now. Quickly eat, after you’re done, pack your stuff, we’re leaving immediately.”

“To where?”

“The human world!” I exclaimed at Tess, “We’re going to travel throughout the human world!”

Tess’s face showed she was completely lost and did not understand what was happening.

“I cannot leave this place…”

“Why?”

“Because G.o.d–”

“Tess-chan~”

I went right up in front of her, held both her hands, and looked at her in the eye with utmost sincerity.

“I really want to travel all of a sudden! I really really really want to go! But going alone is so lonely, won’t you accompany me? Won’t you? Won’t you?”

Tess looked at me, and her cheeks slowly reddened. She hurried withdrew her hands from my grasp and covered her face with them. I squatted in front of her waiting. After a long while, she replied in a voice so soft, it was almost as audible as a mosquito.

“… Un.”

“That’s great! Now quickly eat, we are leaving the forest immediately.”

“But,” Tess continued, “To leave the forest of elves, permission from the elven king is needed, or we will be lost forever.”

“That’s fine.”

I changed the itinerary.

“After you are done with the fried eggs, we will get permission from the great king, and then go on our trip! Haha~”