After hearing Liliana's words, Draven's mouth twitched, as if he had just heard some ridiculous joke—but he couldn't bring himself to laugh.

  He silently looked down at her. Aside from that one accidental physical reaction on Nightmare Horse's back earlier, he had never thought of her in that way.

  To him, Liliana was just a hot-tempered little girl with great strength, always running around like a restless fawn—troublesome but nothing to do with love.

  He frowned, feeling a strange mix of surprise, tenderness, and some unspeakable sense of loss rising in his chest.

  Liliana wouldn't say something like that out of the blue. She was always carefree, and yet today she was crying uncontrollably and talking about wanting to be his woman. This was highly unusual.

  He gently pulled her out of his embrace, his rough hand carefully wiping the tears from her face, fingertips brushing her flushed cheeks.

  "Liliana," he softened his voice as much as possible,"why are you suddenly saying this? What exactly happened?"

  The little girl was still sobbing, her voice broken,"So you can teach me how to awaken the treants."

  "What?" Draven was stunned for a moment.

  He almost burst out laughing—and was a little angry. What was that girl thinking? To awaken the treants, she was actually thinking of sacrificing herself? Was she crazy?

  "Listen to me carefully," he said, lowering his gaze to meet hers."It's not that I don't want to teach you, it's that I simply can't."

  He patiently explained that awakening the treants was not a matter of spells or training. He did it through a certain intuitive sense born of a pact, a deep resonance. It wasn't something that could be learned or taught to others.

  As Liliana listened, her eyes dimmed, as if a light inside her heart had been extinguished. She lowered her head and nodded quietly,"Okay."

  But Draven knew things weren't that simple. She hadn't cried like that just because of this. He could feel there was more behind it that he didn't know.

  So he didn't give up. While softly comforting her, he continued to ask questions. After a while, Liliana finally opened up and revealed what she had kept locked in her heart.

  Her mother was a Wood Elf, but her tribe was wiped out when Liliana was very young. Her mother disappeared suddenly shortly after Liliana's birth and was never heard from again.

  Her father was a Noctrelle druid and her teacher, Master Benedict. This always calm and resolute man forbade her from investigating her mother's fate or touching any Wood Elf knowledge or heritage.

  Liliana had thought her father was just too rational, but later she understood—he was actually afraid she would get hurt.

  She had kept this secret for years, never telling anyone. She didn't believe her father's words; she wanted to know where her mother had gone, and what the strange yet familiar blood inside her meant.

  Until she met Draven and saw for the first time someone awaken a treant with her own eyes. She could hardly believe it—this was the power of the Wood Elves, a miracle she had only seen in her dreams!

  At first, she thought Draven might be a Wood Elf descendant too, maybe a half-blood like her. But then she found out he wasn't. He awakened the treants through a special pact instead.

  Sniffling, Liliana continued, her voice choked with emotion,"Then didn't a High Elf come to our village? Sylvia her elven aura was so strong. I found out that if a half-blood elf increases their bloodline's purity, they can resonate with pure-blood elves."

  Only then did Draven realize Liliana wasn't acting naively. She knew exactly what she was doing. It seemed like she knew nothing, but she had quietly researched a lot and secretly tried many things.

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  "Did something go wrong with your practice last night?" he asked.

  Liliana nodded, whispering,"Not only did I not improve, I actually regressed. I feel less like an elf than before."

  Her voice grew smaller and smaller until it was barely audible.

  Draven hugged her tightly, feeling the little body trembling slightly in his arms. He could imagine how hard yesterday's failure must have hit her. And after failing at fishing this morning too, her shame must have overwhelmed her, causing this breakdown.

  He sighed and asked,"But what does this have to do with awakening the treants?"

  Liliana raised her head to look at him, her eyes red like two ripe cherries.

  "The information I found said that if you awaken the treants yourself, they can sense Wood Elf blood and will help with your cultivation! They increase affinity."

  Draven gave a bitter smile and reached out to gently rub Liliana's soft short hair. He sighed, feeling somewhat helpless inside.

  "This is really something I can't help you with," he said, softening his tone as much as possible, not wanting to disappoint her.

  If he could have taught her, she would have learned by now. He wasn't the kind of person to hide useful knowledge or keep it to himself. Besides, she had chosen to stay with him even though she could have left long ago, so of course he wouldn't hold anything back from her.

  But the ability to awaken the treants came from a forced bond— something between intuition and talent. It simply couldn't be taught.

  Seeing the tear stains still fresh on the little girl's face, Draven patted her shoulder.

  "But I promise you, I'll do everything I can to help you strengthen your bloodline power. The power of the Wood Elves— we'll find a way."

  Liliana's eyes brightened, her gaze suddenly lively and hopeful.

  "Really? You're not just saying that, are you?"

  Draven nodded solemnly. Before he could pull his hand back, Liliana suddenly leaned in.

  Her movement was decisive, lips pressing against his like she was finally acting on a decision she'd kept hidden deep in her heart for a long time.

  Draven's eyes widened and his mind blanked for a moment. Her lips were cold and trembling, but the next instant he felt a wave of warmth spreading between them. She even pried his mouth open.

  After recovering, he instinctively kissed her back without hesitation, as if his body made the choice before his reason could catch up.

  Liliana lightly punched him a few times, her small fists tapping his chest like feathers.

  Finally, Draven released her and stepped back. His heart pounded rapidly, as if he had just been through a battle.

  "What the hell did I just do…" he murmured, looking down at the little girl who was still catching her breath, filled with regret.

  "So, Liliana, how old are you this year?"

  "210 years! I'm an adult!" Liliana almost shouted immediately, as if to prove she had long been old enough for this. She puffed out her chest in his arms, her cheeks flushed bright red.

  Draven paused, then glanced at the barely noticeable rise and fall of her chest.

  "You really are still little," he sighed softly, stroking her hair again. Even at 210, in his eyes, she was still a little girl.

  Her appearance and behavior were far too immature, as if she didn't truly understand what adulthood meant.

  He just couldn't see her as a woman. At least, not yet.

  They stayed like that for a while, holding each other quietly. Birdsong drifted through the forest, and the distant river kept flowing as if nothing had happened.

  After a while, Draven gently pushed her away and got up, breaking off a few sturdy branches to skewer the fish on the ground one by one. He tied them up and slung them over his shoulder, then helped her mount the horse.

  Nightmare Horse was tall, and Liliana almost slipped when climbing up, but Draven caught her.

  He smiled, pulling her gently into his arms. She was so light, like a little cloak that the wind could easily carry away.

  They returned to the village, and Draven tossed the fish at the village entrance. Before anyone could take care of them, he went straight to find Viola. He had to explain the situation, though he wasn't sure how to start.

  When Viola appeared before him, he looked like a boy who had done something wrong— head down, unsure where to put his hands.

  "I… um, I have something to say about Liliana," he stammered.

  Viola looked at him calmly, with a hint of amusement in her expression.

  Draven told her everything in one breath, without exaggeration or hiding anything deliberately. He wasn't good at lying, especially not in front of Viola.

  After listening, Viola just smiled and asked,"So, should we let her move in with us?"

  Draven's eyes widened, unsure how to respond."You're not angry?"

  "Why would I be? She's a good girl, and you didn't lie to me," Viola shrugged, as if it wasn't such a big deal.

  Draven opened his mouth but ended up saying only,"You're way too generous."

  "If I wasn't, wouldn't you feel even guiltier?" Viola shot back.

  He could only smile bitterly. Honestly, he came to her mostly seeking permission, so he wouldn't feel so guilty. Now that she said that, he felt there was nothing left to fear.

  After finishing, Draven followed Viola back to the villagers. It was still not completely dark, so they had some time to work.

  He started teaching the villagers how to weave larger fishing nets and how to cure and preserve fish.

  "The fish isn't inedible, you just don't know how to prepare it," Draven demonstrated while explaining."Boiling it straight in the pot is the worst method. You need to clean the fish properly, salt it first, then dry it or smoke it with fruitwood."

  Many villagers frowned, and some even covered their noses. For these demi-humans who had never dealt with aquatic products before, the fishy smell was almost worse than that of a corpse.