Perhaps because his heart had reserved too much space for Fay, the face of his foster father had become blurry in Klein's memory early on. He only remembered that the man had a sharp-featured face unlike most elves, usually wearing a stern expression, often staring motionlessly at the sky deep in thought, with only his long ear tips occasionally twitching.
Klein's growth rate wasn't much slower than that of humans. At twenty-five, he had already developed an adult's physique. Fay had postponed her own coming-of-age ceremony by two years just to wait for him, and she had long since shed her girlish innocence. Her figure had grown more slender, with enchanting curves gradually developing at her chest and hips.
Klein couldn't remember when it started - when their once-innocent habit of cuddling to sleep began to fill him with unbearable restlessness. Some almost uncontrollable impulses had condensed into a burning fireball that bounced between his chest and abdomen, making even his blood flow more vigorously.
The perceptive Fay naturally noticed Klein's emotional changes. One night afterward, under the moonlit treehouse, the two curious elves shyly explored the mysteries of each other's bodies. Since then, Klein had found a way to ease his restlessness.
However, they both remembered that the most important ritual should be saved for after the coming-of-age ceremony, that great moment to be witnessed by Lord Raniel.
This was precisely why Klein felt nervous. His heart would drum wildly at the thought that after tonight, there would be absolutely no distance between him and Fay, that they would completely belong to each other.
In fact, given how sought-after elf maidens were throughout Trael, if not for her life of mutual dependence with Klein, Fay could have effortlessly obtained the life she had long dreamed of. Even in the nameless town east of the forest, several merchants had made direct inquiries, though the only outcome was teaching Klein a new term: concubine.
If he followed his childhood wishes, letting Fay leave would actually give her a better life. But just imagining Fay by someone else's side, leaving him behind, would cause his very soul to burn with pain as if struck by a whip.
While his thoughts were still wandering aimlessly like a child's, a familiar voice suddenly called out softly from behind. He froze for a moment, his hand jerking slightly, and nearly ruined the entire piece of wood.
"Klein, aren't you finished yet? Do you know where that wooden beam that supports our window went? I can't find it anywhere..." Fay's voice carried a distinct South Elfas accent, which matched wonderfully with her sweet and gentle tone. While it made her Elvish sound especially melodious, when speaking Common, she had a habit of adding certain endings - those soft nasal sounds that often drew strange glances from older human men.
Thanks to the complex and peculiar grammar of the Elvish language, Klein, who couldn't afford schooling and lacked Fay's excellent memory, was most fluent in Common Tounge. Fortunately, Common, evolved from ancient script, was the mandatory language across the continent. For Klein, who had no plans to visit the pure elven settlements in the South, it was enough to simply understand Elvish.
"Klein, you're not listening to me again." Fay's slightly complaining voice drew closer. "Always getting lost in your thoughts like this - how dangerous would that be if you became an archer?"
"That, at least, wasn't something to worry about. Klein smiled optimistically with his back still turned to Fay. Great archers always had people protecting them. All they needed to do was aim, channel magic, and shoot - that was enough. Someone else would even clean up the battlefield for them. This was what Klein, who had to make his own bow, envied most.
"Kle! In!" Fay shouted each syllable right next to his ear, her breath from her small mouth making the tip of his long ear quiver. She then wrapped her arm around his neck and spoke slowly in a voice that remained gentle but had become much more dangerous, "Say, are you planning to tear down our entire house to make bows?"
"No, no, absolutely not!" Klein's ears stood straight up as he hastily raised the half-formed bow frame. "Look, this piece of wood has excellent flexibility. Don't you think it's a waste to use it as a window support? Our window is just a frame anyway, and... well... couldn't we still get ventilation without propping it open?"
He didn't rush to remove Fay's arm, as the position wasn't uncomfortable at all - quite the contrary. Fay's soft, supple chest pressed against his back, and he wouldn't have minded being held in this gentle headlock for however long.
Fay, who should have had her coming-of-age ceremony two years ago, had now ripened like a fresh berry. Her handmade leather skirt revealed legs with a subtle malt-like hue, their straight and proportionate curves often earning her small discounts when buying goods in town. Her chest was just the right size - neither hindering her movement through the trees, nor failing to attract the attention of most male onlookers.
"Hey, you're having inappropriate thoughts again." Fay frowned, releasing him and stepping back two paces, giving him a playful yet reproachful look. Klein stood up, trying to hide his discomfort, and sheepishly scratched his messy dark red hair. "Sorry, my mind was wandering again."
Fay, as she always did, reached up to ruffle Klein's messy hair for a while, smiling gently as she asked, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you? Or... are you already getting nervous?"
The latter question carried a noticeably more playful, teasing tone than the first.
Because she knew exactly what was making Klein nervous.
Klein wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her slender shoulder, letting out a soft sigh. "Honestly, I've waited for this day for so long, but now that it's actually here, I'm so nervous my throat feels tight."
Fay understood his feelings, for tonight was his coming-of-age ceremony. Two years ago, at a similar time, her own mind had been in such chaos that she broke a pot and nearly set the entire tree on fire. Yet back then, she didn't have to think about what came after the ceremony, since Klein wasn't of age yet, and she had no intention of being with anyone else. Thus, her nervousness had been far less than Klein's current state.
The coming-of-age ceremony was extremely important for all elves - well... all elves who still respected tradition. In ancient times, before the intermingling and mutual influence with humans, during the annual Blue Moon Night, elves who had completed twenty-five years of growth would seek out the most comfortable open space they could find. There, under the protection of Raniel, the Angel of Dreams, they would receive the blessing of adulthood. Legend had it that if lovers completed their first intimate union on the night of their coming-of-age ceremony, they would be blessed with happiness.
Yet in Klein's heart, there lingered a persistent shadow, constantly reminding him that without him, Fay could have lived a better, easier life - like those skilled elven women who moved gracefully through the marketplace, living without worry about their next meal.
Tonight was the coming-of-age ceremony. Would Fay, who had chosen him, truly find happiness by his side?