"What's wrong with you?"
Ever since Annan returned, Della had been acting strangely... She always seemed to be close to him.
More than once, Annan had turned around to find Della right behind him, or woken in the middle of the night to see her standing beside his bed.
Della was his Guard in name, but this was still too close.
While bathing, Annan secretly asked his Elf Mentor when Elves went into heat.
"...Elves don't go into heat."
Annan looked as though he had just heard someone claim Illymoyas disliked money, Martin disliked Apple Pie, or Leila disliked fishing. "Then how do you... find partners?"
"We feel it with our souls."
"Wow."
"We'll be returning to the Elven Royal Court soon. Are you ready to speak to your Elf Mentor?"
"I think you're fine as you are..." Annan said at first. Then, feeling cowardly—the Elf Mentor couldn't exactly crawl out of the World Tree Leaf and eat him—he added, "Whatever you look like won't change our friendship."
"I'm glad you can say that..."
After finishing his conversation with the Elf Mentor, Annan put on his Mage Robe and let Della in from outside.
Della misunderstood him and began taking off her leather armor as soon as she entered.
"That's not what I meant!" Before Della could strip completely, Annan came straight to the point. "Della, you've been acting strange lately."
"...That World Tree Leaf is drawing me in."
"This? I can't give it to you..." It finally dawned on Annan, and he took out the World Tree Leaf. Seeing Della's eyes lock onto it, he asked tentatively, "But I could let you hold it?"
"Thank you for trusting me, but holding the World Tree Leaf won't help."
"What if you soaked it in water and drank the water?"
Della's