I had been to the dungeon once before . The last time I went down there, I was left with my most painful memory . If we were to say that my heart has been wounded with blades, then that time would be the first blade wound I received to my heart . That was also the first time I held Mera in my arms . The first time I held her in my arms, however, I was covered in her blood . It was the first time I held her in my arms, but the warmth came from her blood spurting forth until she had none left to spill .

I was the one who dealt the fatal blow to her . I killed Mera with my own hands . I was the one who stained my body with her blood . Therefore, I still avoided the dungeon . Everybody has a memory they don’t want to recall or a place they don’t want to go near . Nevertheless, I ended up visiting it in the end .

I gently placed my hand on the damp wall . I was somewhat hesitant to descend the stairs . Lucia touched my hand and rea.s.sured, “Your Highness, there’s no need to feel nervous . I really dislike the moist and dark dungeon, as well, but since you have something to do, show some courage . ”

“Why don’t you want to come with me when you know I don’t like it?”

“Didn’t I just tell you? I don’t like it down there . ”

Lucia mischievously smiled then gave me a push downstairs . I let out a hopeless sigh .

I guess there weren’t any fans of the prison amongst the elves, which would explain why not even Mom visited it . That had to mean the place was a cruel place of torture for elves, then . As a half-elf, half-human, I didn’t mind it . I wasn’t fond of the place purely due to what happened in the past .

I descended . I formed a fireball on my hand . I learnt the spell from Mommy Vyvyan . With it, I didn’t need a fire torch . It wasn’t actually dark down there, in saying that . A light from somewhere provided the surroundings with a natural light . I grouchily erased my fireball .

“I beg you… please…”

As soon as I arrived below, something akin to a ball rolled over from the side, clung to my leg and wailed . She gave me a fright with her sudden appearance, which almost led to me shrieking . Nevertheless, I quickly realised it was the kid . I lowered my head to look at her filthy face . Her clothes were evidently torn and tattered, not due to friction but her tearing it herself . It was evident that she was mentally broken . I looked at the surrounding white walls . I still couldn’t figure out where the natural light came from .

I didn’t understand why elves were scared of the prison . I thought it was an incredibly comfortable environment compared to humanity’s dungeon . Moreover, food was decent . Mom didn’t abuse the girl . The food and water Mom provided was there, but it had been tipped over .

“I beg you… please… let me go… let me leave this place… I can hear the voice… I can hear voices everywhere I go… I don’t want to hear the voices anymore… I don’t want to hear them anymore! I… I’m sorry for what I did! I’m sorry… I beg you… please… take me away from here . You can even kill me if you want, but just please let me leave this place!!” The kid clung to me and cried until she looked unseemly .

I pulled her up from my leg . She cried as she waddled around in the air . She was similar to a dog leaping up . I didn’t ask her anything . Instead, I carried her upstairs .

“Your Highness, whoa, that quick?!”

Lucia was stunned to see me . Nevertheless, she was soon startled upon noticing that I was carrying the kid . She quickly came over to hold the kid . Perhaps it was due to her first time being a mother that Lucia carefully hugged the kid . She personally wiped the filth off the kid’s face . I had no idea where all the filth came from . Lucia continued by gently consoling her .

I sighed: “Lucia, why are you elves so scared of being down there? I don’t think it’s scary whatsoever . I’d say it’s pretty good compared to the dungeon in humanity’s Royal Palace . I’ve also been to the church’s dungeon . That’s what I’d call horrifying . ”

Lucia fiddled with my ears then softly explained: “The truth is there’s magic down there; or rather, an ability that leaves behind a voice . You have different ears to us, which is why you can’t hear it . We, on the other hand, can hear it and it won’t ever stop . It’ll continue to repeat to us, ‘Do you know your sin?’ It’ll continue to repeat it perpetually no matter what we do . Not even covering our ears will help . For that reason, elves usually lose their sanity once they go down there . ”

Feeling sorry for the crying kid, Lucia pulled her into her embrace . In a quiet voice, she opined, “Whatever the case is, she didn’t cause any serious harm to others, yet has to suffer this . I honestly feel that it’s excessive . ”

“It’s pointless for you to tell me that… It was Mom who sent her here…”

“It’s enough now, right? This will be Nona and Vera in a few years’ time . If Nona and Vera err in the future, are you going to send them here, too?!”

“Ah… No…” I sighed . I rubbed my head afterwards .

“It should be enough now, right? Your Highness, has this not been enough of a punishment to her? It should be enough, shouldn’t it? So… so, let’s stop . She’s still a kid . ”

I sighed: “I’m not too willing to forgive her solely because she she’s a kid… It’s too unfair . I think th-“

“But she hasn’t done anything that’s gone too far, has she? Despite what she did in the sealed-off forest, she didn’t harm anyone seriously . The worst damage she did was cause a few injuries . There’s no need to go so far as to kill her, is there? She… She’s just an ordinary dark elf . However, Mera… tch… Dark elves aren’t good news, but I think a child dark elf wouldn’t be so violent . We just need to treat her properly . Those were the mistakes of the dark elves . As long as we educate and take care of this girl, she won’t turn out the same way . ”

Lucia’s gaze turned a little cold once she mentioned Mera . Lucia detested Mera to the core . In spite of what happened at the beginning, Lucia couldn’t forgive her for almost killing me at the end .

I sighed and rubbed Lucia’s head: “Since you’ve said that, mm… I don’t think that it’s impossible… It’s just that I’ll need to tell Mom . Additionally, I’m certain this girl can’t live inside the imperial palace . Do we have to take her to the North…? Mm… I don’t mind . ”

“Let’s do that, then! I don’t want… I don’t want to kill a child . That’s a sin that G.o.d can’t forgive! She has a future! She still has a future!!!”