At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 294
For an incarnation of Ellandos, having her privacy invaded was not threatening in the slightest. And to the children of Ellandos, every detail about their spouse was essential information. Something they needed to know in order to court her properly and maintain their marriage.
However, Jiwoo was human.
Even after she had explained that excessive intrusion into her privacy made her uncomfortable in a way it never would an incarnation, moments like this still happened from time to time.
“You really won’t tell us? We’re all curious…”
“Ugh…”
They would plead with her using that particular mixture of affection and childish coaxing unique to them.
But not this time.
Jiwoo knew exactly whom she had voted for, which only made her more determined to stop them. Mel even rested his chin on her shoulder and joined in.
“Darling, I want to know who you thought was so special.”
Special?
“…You all thought you were voting for the person with the worst personality.”
“Mmm. Anything at an extreme is special, isn’t it?”
Jiwoo had not chosen anyone for that reason in the first place. She should make that clear before anything else.
“Fi, first of all, I didn’t vote for him because I thought he had a bad personality.”
“Really?”
“That’s disappointing…”
Why were they disappointed by that? In the end, Jiwoo raised both hands in surrender.
However, she did not let Reed reveal the ballot. She decided it would be better to say the name herself.
“I voted for Quilon.”
“…!”
Everyone turned in the same direction, visibly surprised. Quilon himself jolted at being named. His usually lowered ears sprang upright in shock.
He had not received a single vote from anyone else in the group, yet Jiwoo had chosen him. And to them, hers was the most important vote of all.
“Then it’s decided.”
Their next trip would take them underground. The members accompanying Jiwoo would be Lugarmel, Narkreed, Kelvar, Silevion, and Quilon.
Applause broke out around the room as though they had just been awarded a prize.
“Prepare well and have a safe trip!”
“El, can we choose the team through another vote next time?”
“We, well, maybe?”
Shaen, who was supposed to guide them underground, had finally reached the limit of his patience.
“How long are you planning to continue this ridiculous courtship performance? Could we please leave sometime today?”
Naturally, Narkreed struck the back of his head as soon as he finished speaking.
* * *
Jiwoo’s group had no intention of delaying the trip.
Both sides were already suffering damage, and since Jiwoo had decided to resolve the problem, it was best to leave as soon as possible.
Everyone began to disperse, saying they had preparations to make before departure.
Jiwoo took the opportunity to call someone back.
“Quilon, wait. I need to talk to you.”
Ever since the earlier incident, when she had caught him attacking Asilion, Quilon must have known that Jiwoo wanted a conversation.
The fact that no opportunity had arisen since then meant Quilon had likely been avoiding her on purpose.
Now that the misunderstanding over the vote had been added to everything else, Jiwoo worried the situation might only worsen.
Yet even now, Quilon seemed ready to slip away the moment she called him. So Jiwoo followed the advice she had been given.
“Stop. Talk to me.”
A little forcefully.
Quilon’s eyes wavered, and his entire body went still. This time, he did not avoid her. Instead, his ears lowered, and the tips turned vividly red.
It was strange.
Jiwoo had learned quite a bit from observing her husbands. The tips of their ears usually flushed when they were deeply excited. It often happened when she showed them affection in an intimate atmosphere, or when they became particularly aroused in bed, so it was easy enough to recognize.
On the other hand, lowered ears usually indicated displeasure. Yet Quilon’s ears were displaying both at once, leaving Jiwoo unable to make sense of him.
Was he happy to be going on the trip? Upset because he had been singled out as ill-tempered?
Or both?
“I think my intention was explained badly. I wanted to choose people who would be safe to travel with and capable of handling the underground clan. That was why I asked everyone to vote.”
She made sure to explain it properly to Quilon.
“Voting on who has the worst personality would be strange to begin with.”
Especially if it were framed as something Jiwoo herself had ordered. It would have seemed less like a practical decision and more like she was encouraging them to torment one another.
“…”
Quilon remained silent for a long time.
“Did it upset you?”
“…No, Jiwoo. Please don’t concern yourself with that.”
At last, his voice emerged.
As he spoke, Quilon gestured with his chin toward the husbands still gathered around the ballot board.
They were teasing one another over how many votes each had received and complaining that they must have lived far too kindly.
“They are enjoying this more than anyone.”
“I, iIs that so…?”
Then again, they had lived together for hundreds or even thousands of years.
They surely already knew exactly what they thought of one another. This time, they were simply delighted to gain one more piece of information on how Jiwoo viewed them.
“But I understand why you were worried, Jiwoo. You thought I might be hurt if the person I served regarded me that way. You were concerned because you are kind.”
Quilon did not meet her eyes. Instead, he stared somewhere down at the floor.
Shriokun
Awww poor baby