Elves seemed to embody all the Creator's hopes for the beauty of this world.
In ancient songs passed down across the world, this race had always been associated with elegance, mystery, and nature's favor.
Extraordinary lifespans beyond the mortal realm, magical talent flowing in their blood, slender and well-proportioned figures, light and nimble movements, and breathtaking features blessed by heaven.
When these traits—rare or even utterly impossible in humans—were unbelievably gathered within a single being, they often easily stirred the greed and possessiveness buried deep within others.
That was why, even at the enormous risk of provoking this race's wrath, and at the cost of unimaginable wealth and sacrifice, those nobles and wealthy merchants blinded by desire still wanted to purchase an elven slave on the black market.
To flaunt their wealth, or to fill the dark ravines within their hearts.
So what if there were an elf who not only possessed beauty and magical talent so stunning that even her own kind paled beside her, but had also reached the very pinnacle of the arcane?
And on top of that, she bore such unattainable titles as "Legendary Mage" and "Mistress of the Observer's Tower."
Lidona could fully understand the fervor of those people who wished to approach her mother. She could even understand their attempts, through every possible means, to merely see her once and win her favor.
But she would never accept it.
Those mismatched desires and ambitions only filled her with disgust and sorrow.
The wider the gulf between them, the hotter the longing in those people's eyes burned—and that only proved all the more clearly how vile and unworthy they were.
Not to mention outsiders; even Lidona herself, when facing her mother's seemingly dustless perfection, found it difficult to suppress the sense of inferiority rising within