CHAPTER 75: CHAPTER 75: GOBLIN AND WITCH

The boy in the middle—her older brother—grinned smugly, clearly unbothered by her tone. With casual arrogance, he stepped toward her and draped an arm over her shoulders.

"Don’t worry, sister," he said smoothly, "I just taught him a little lesson. He’ll probably break off the engagement himself now, since you don’t have the strength to speak back to Father."

Elena’s face turned red with fury, and she roughly shoved his arm off her shoulder, glaring. "Argh! Stop meddling in my business! I didn’t ask for your help!"

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and rushed toward the woods, her skirt brushing the grass as she hurried along the forest path.

When she arrived, she found Axelius not far from where the trees thickened, standing with his head slightly bowed, brushing dust and leaves off his coat. His face had small bruises, and his clothes were wrinkled, but he stood firm, his expression distant and unreadable.

Elena slowed her steps and composed herself before calling out softly but clearly, her voice laced with noble grace, "Are you alright, Lord Axelius? Please accept my sincerest apologies. I had no idea my brother would do such a thing."

Axelius glanced up at her, his tired eyes meeting hers. "That’s your brother?" he muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Hah. Like brother, like sister, I see."

Elena blinked, clearly caught off guard. "What... what are you talking about, Lord Axelius?" she asked, her tone still formal but now laced with confusion.

Axelius raised one brow, stepping closer with a mocking tilt of his head. "Quit acting, Elena. Don’t you recognize me, brat?"

She frowned, visibly confused. "I... I don’t understand—"

Without warning, Axelius stepped forward and gently but firmly brought his foot down on her own—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to jolt her memory.

Elena’s eyes widened in an instant as the forgotten memory clicked into place. She gasped and stumbled back, her mouth dropping open as she pointed at him. "You! It was you! The dwarf thief from the street market!"

Axelius crossed his arms, a triumphant smirk spreading across his face. "There you are. Now you show your true self. Witch."

Elena stared at him in disbelief, clutching her chest as if deeply offended. "Me? A witch?! Watch your tongue, you lowborn thief! I should have you punished for stepping on a lady’s foot!"

Axelius scoffed, stepping back with clear amusement. "Oh please. Don’t act like some delicate noble now. I still remember your screech."

"I had every right to!" Elena snapped, her noble tone breaking slightly. "You took our foods!!"

"You screamed like a banshee!" Axelius countered.

"Well, I am a lady of high standing!" Elena declared, raising her chin. "Unlike you, who looks like someone playing Dravenhart!"

Axelius looked down at himself, then back at her. "I’m a Dravenhart, whether you like it or not. Even if I don’t have a shiny mana core, at least I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not."

Elena’s cheeks flushed, half with anger, half with confusion. "Tch... insolent as ever," she muttered, brushing imaginary dust off her sleeves. "You should still be grateful I spoke to you with courtesy earlier. A real noble would know their place."

Axelius rolled his eyes and leaned against a tree. "If this is how nobles behave, I’ll gladly stay out of your world."

They stood there for a long second, both breathing harder glaring at each other.

Owen whispered to Axelius, "Umm... did we just make an enemy... or a friend?"

Axelius exhaled deeply and turned away, walking down the narrow dirt path between the trees, He didn’t look back, but he could hear Elena hesitating, the silence stretching before her hurried footsteps followed after him, her skirt rustling as she caught up.

She glanced around nervously—clearly uneasy now that she was alone in the woods—and stayed a few paces behind him, fidgeting with her sleeves.

After a moment, Axelius finally spoke, his voice low and tinged with annoyance. "Engagement, huh? What kind of nonsense is that? I’m just seven. Who decides that for a kid?"

Elena lifted an eyebrow, brushing her blonde hair off her shoulder as she replied with a slight smirk, "You say it like it’s happening tomorrow. It’s only an agreement. Nothing’s official until we reach the right age. You do know how noble politics work, don’t you?"

Axelius scoffed. "Good. Because I don’t want a witch for a wife."

That made Elena halt in her steps, her emerald eyes narrowing sharply. She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head, that refined noble smile turning cold with irritation. "Witch, huh? You keep calling me that, but from where I stand, it looks like you’re the one acting like a little cursed goblin."

Axelius looked over his shoulder at her, unimpressed. "Nice try."

"Oh, I’m not done," Elena said, stepping closer now, raising her chin with confidence. "You know, when I first saw you from afar, I thought maybe you were older. But now that I’m standing here, I’m starting to think you’re the size of a well-fed gnome. Are you sure you’re seven? Or did someone add a few years to your papers out of pity?"

Axelius blinked slowly, then muttered, "Did you just call me a gnome?"

Elena smiled sweetly. "Oh, forgive me. That was rude. Gnomes are at least good with potions. You, on the other hand, just sleep at parties and get thrown in sacks by children."

Owen the slime, still quietly bouncing beside Axelius’s feet, made a low "oooooh" sound in reaction.

Axelius pointed a finger down at Owen. "Not helping."

Elena gave a small huff and crossed her arms, clearly satisfied with her roast. "Really, Axelius, if you want to insult someone, at least be prepared for a response. Otherwise, it’s just embarrassing."

Axelius turned around fully, brushing the dirt off his shoulder like he didn’t care, though a faint pout threatened to escape his lips. "I’ll grow taller. Eventually."

Elena gave a dramatic nod, her voice dripping with exaggerated pity. "Of course. Someday. Maybe."

Owen let out another small giggle. "This is better than the party snacks."

Axelius glared at his companion, then sighed and kept walking. "I’m going back to sleep under a tree."

"And I’m going back before someone thinks you’ve kidnapped me," Elena replied, brushing past him with a flip of her hair. "Enjoy sulking, Lord Goblin."

Axelius didn’t respond right away, but under his breath, he mumbled, "Witch."