Chapter 7: Departure
About ten minutes after the wall was destroyed.
Lydia was slumped against the back of the sofa, sitting limply.
Leohart knelt in front of her, offering a cup of water with a worried expression.
“Are you all right?”
“Y-Yes, thank you. I was just a little startled, that’s all.”
Lydia straightened herself and brought the cup of water to her lips.
She glanced at Leohart and let out a sigh in her heart.
‘It’s hard to believe this person is that same Leohart.’
The Leohart in her memories was a small, cute boy with big round eyes.
But the young man before her was nothing like that.
Jet-black hair, refined features, long narrow eyes with cool red irises.
He was far taller than Lydia, slim yet solidly built, the very image of a knight, and a type of handsome man you would never find among elves.
‘He feels like a complete stranger, and it makes me nervous.’
Seeing Lydia’s unsettled expression, Leohart looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry, Lydia. I must have surprised you.”
His slightly childish way of speaking and his dejected look made Lydia chuckle.
That 모습 was exactly like the Leohart she remembered.
‘Leohart is still Leohart after all.’
Thinking that, she reached out and gently patted his head.
“It’s all right. I was just surprised, that’s all.”
“Ah, I see… I’m glad to hear that.”
Leohart covered his mouth with one hand as if to hide his expression.
After letting out a small breath to calm himself, he looked at Lydia seriously.
“I think we should consider leaving here soon. The hole seems to be starting to close.”
At his words, Lydia looked at the wall.
The large hole that had been opened earlier did indeed seem slightly smaller.
“I can open it again, but doing it repeatedly may put a strain on the tree.”
“That’s true. May I take a little time to prepare?”
“There’s no need to rush. I’ll keep it widened enough so it won’t close.”
Lydia quickly stood up.
As she headed toward the work area while thinking about what to take with her, she suddenly turned back to Leohart.
“Do you know what’s happening in the Elven Kingdom now?”
“That country is very secretive, so I don’t know the details, but there hasn’t been any major movement over the past ten years.”
“…The king hasn’t changed, has he?”
“I don’t think so. Lately, crops have been plentiful, and I often hear that the economy is thriving.”
“…I see.”
After thanking him, Lydia headed to the work area.
While hurriedly preparing what she would take with her, she fell deep into thought.
‘What… should I do from now on?’
To be honest, Lydia had assumed something terrible must have happened in the Elven Kingdom.
Veronica and Gilbard had said they would come for her soon, yet ten years had passed without them ever appearing.
She had been certain that something must have happened to her father or the country.
But judging from what Leohart had just told her, not only had nothing happened, the country seemed to be prospering.
‘Which means… they chose not to come for me on purpose.’
The fact that they never came, without a single word, might itself be the answer.
Lydia lowered her gaze.
Until recently, she had planned to return to the royal palace the moment she got out.
But now, she no longer knew if that was truly the right choice.
‘…For now, I should focus on preparing to leave.’
Setting her thoughts aside, Lydia began packing.
She placed only the bare necessities—pharmaceutical tools, books, and clothes—into her magic bag, leaving behind what would not fit.
After that, for the squirrels and rabbits who had visited her here, she harvested plenty of vegetables and fruit from the field and orchard and left them behind.
When she finished tidying the room, Lydia slowly looked around once more.
Bathed in soft, gentle light, the green room felt warm as always.
She softly murmured, “Thank you,” and then called out, “Let’s go,” to the rabbits and squirrels tilting their heads at her feet.
When she approached the now smaller hole in the wall, Leohart was standing outside with his sword.
It seemed he had been doing something to keep the hole from shrinking too much.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes. —Am I really allowed to leave…?”
As she asked that without thinking, Leohart smiled and held out his hand.
“Of course you are.”
Lydia placed her hand in his and cautiously stepped out through the hole.
When she looked back, she saw the opening in the giant tree rapidly closing.
The hole grew smaller and smaller, and the room she had lived in for so long gradually disappeared from view.
When the hole finally closed completely, Lydia looked around.
The forest was filled with fresh spring greenery, and a gentle breeze blew through.
The scent of soil and trees mixed into that spring wind made her feel like she might cry.
Leohart watched Lydia quietly, his eyes soft.
After a brief hesitation, he looked at her with a serious expression.
“From here on, if you don’t mind, would you like to come with me to Serenia?”
“Serenia?”
Serenia was a republic neighboring the Elven Kingdom, a free-spirited nation rich in forests and greenery.
“Serenia is a beautiful country full of forests. It’s tolerant of outsiders, so I think you could even open the apothecary you talked about.”
Lydia’s eyes widened.
“You remembered?”
“Of course. I haven’t forgotten a single word you said.”
Tears welled up in Lydia’s eyes.
Veronica and Gilbard had promised they would come for her, yet never did so even once in ten years.
Compared to that, Leohart’s kindness and sincerity—remembering something she had said only once ten years ago and trying to make it come true—made tears spill over.
Lydia thought to herself.
She had waited long enough.
It was time to be free.
The misunderstanding about poisoning her father and the state of the country had weighed on her mind for so long.
But now, it was enough.
She would stop worrying about it.
The only thing that concerned her was Leohart himself.
Would he truly be all right, involving himself in her wish like this?
She hesitantly opened her mouth.
“I’m really happy. Thank you. But… are you sure it’s all right for you to leave your country, Leohart?”
Leohart smiled gently.
“It’s all right. Wherever you are is where I belong. Are you all right with it, Lydia?”
She nodded.
“Yes. I’m fine. I want to go.”
Leohart softly extended his hand to her.
“Then let’s go. There are horses waiting ahead.”
“…Thank you, Leohart.”
With tears in her eyes, Lydia took his hand.
After bidding farewell to the rustling green giant tree and the animals, she walked deep into the forest together with Leohart.