Being An Elf Is Tiring

No one responded from the steps below. The Elven King asked again, but still no one answered. So, he turned to the old elf with a white beard that reached his knees next to him and said, "Then, let me adopt this child and make him my own."

The old elf nodded expressionlessly, "Once this child turns one year old, I will prepare a ceremony and grant him a noble surname."

The Elven King smiled, "Thank you for your trouble."

Ah... what a polite person. Of course, there was bound to be discussion among the elves below the steps.

After a while, a female elf came and took Ilodyer from The Elven King embrace. I lay on the female elf shoulder, looking at The Elven King sitting on the high seat. As if he felt Ilodyer gaze, The Elven King smiled at him. Ilodyer immediately turned his head, his face turning as red as an apple, not a red apple, but a green apple...

There's just something not right.

Ilodyer observed the scenery as he was carried away, passing through a corridor adorned with purple wisteria vines after leaving the grand hall. The gentle sunlight made Ilodyer comfortably narrow his eyes.

Who said no one would want me? The Elven King is my dad. I'd like to see who dares to bully me, hmph...

Passing through various picturesque places, they finally ascended a spiral staircase and entered a magnificent room.

The room had a beautiful medieval ambiance, with drapes hanging low, exquisite silver tea sets, and soft cushions made of oriental silk...

Then Ilodyer small body was placed into a soft and comfortable baby crib. After a while, the room darkened, presumably because the female elf had drawn the curtains.

So comfortable... Ilodyer rubbed against the silk coverlet and slowly closed his eyes.

Ugh... I'm hungry. I should order takeout by phone... My phone should be under the pillow... Let me feel around... Huh? It's not here... Let me try again... Huh?

What's this? Why is my blanket uneven?

Ilodyer opened his eyes in confusion and realized that his hand was resting on a reddish bulge... It seemed to be... the chest of a certain male...

Beside him lay The Elven King. This was both unexpected and expected... How come elves also like to sleep in the nude...? He turned his head and looked at his baby crib a few steps away from the large bed. Surprisingly, he was enveloped in The Elven King embrace.

It should be nighttime now; it's still dark outside, and the cool evening breeze feels nice... But I'm so hungry...

I can't find food for myself, so I'll have to ask the scantily dressed Elven King next to me.

I'll shake...

I can't move him.

I'll bump...

He doesn't seem to feel it...

Well... don't blame me...

I'll bite!

Finally, just before Ilodyer starved to death, The Elven King opened his emerald green eyes.

Looking at himself with saliva on his hand and a doll he was struggling to chew on, The Elven King furrowed his brows and lifted the doll.

"Don't wipe your saliva on my arm."

The doll, with a shiny liquid still dripping from its mouth, also furrowed its brows, its black eyes captivating enough to make one want to kiss them.

The doll pointed to its belly, indicating that it was hungry.

"Are you hungry?" The Elven King sat up on the bed, revealing his unclothed body... His silver hair flowed down smoothly; although he appeared delicate, he was unexpectedly strong. The Elven King picked up a silk handkerchief from the bedside table and wiped the saliva off his arm, then cleaned Ilodyer mouth. He casually draped on a nightgown, picked up the doll, and sat down at the table. There were only some fruits and water on the table. He picked up an apple and handed it to the doll in his arms.

Ah, an apple. I like it!

Ilodyer opened his mouth and took a bite...

"Don't smear saliva on the apple."

Ugh...

Ilodyer lowered his head in disappointment, then opened his mouth again—since I don't have teeth yet, how about some fruit juice...

The Elven King smiled and picked up a strawberry for the doll.

Ah, a strawberry. I like this one too!

I'll bite again...

"Don't treat strawberries like candy and put them in your mouth..." The Elven King extended his hand in front of Ilodyer, "Spit it out."

Ugh... the strawberry is too hard...

Ilodyer spat the saliva-covered strawberry onto The Elven King beautiful hand. The Elven King furrowed his brows and placed it aside.

"Ah..." (Strawberry...)

The Elven King lifted Ilodyer and returned to the bed, saying, "There's nothing to eat now. Let's wait until morning to have someone prepare food for you."

"Ah..." (Seriously...)

Just as Ilodyer was about to cry out loudly, The Elven King placed him back on the bed. Ilodyer, who was about to protest, suddenly felt an overwhelming sleepiness come over him.

He involuntarily closed his eyes and entered a deep slumber. It wasn't until years later, when Ilodyer came into contact with magic, that he realized The Elven King had used magic on him that night.

...

Unlike human kings who have numerous national matters to attend to, Elven Kings had fewer responsibilities and a much longer lifespan. From what Ilodyer saw of The Elven King life, it mostly involved reading, listening to music, composing poetry, and... zoning out... Of course, other elves might interpret The Elven King zoning out as meditation.

Leaving The Elven King room led to a beautiful garden. While humans tend to enclose beautiful plants within their architecture, elves did the opposite. They had an incredible talent for artistry, fusing their designs with the natural surroundings, showcasing the beauty of nature. However, they also paid great attention to the durability and defense of their buildings.

Plants were everywhere. Fortunately, I'm not allergic to pollen. There wasn't much to do today, and The Elven King appearance seemed quite casual. His silver hair wasn't tied up, but let loose. He wore a white robe with intricate patterns of silver thread adorning the neckline and cuffs. It reflected a soft light under the sunlight.

Sitting on a purple wisteria chair, he put down his book, and the little doll in his arms also stopped playing with his silver hair. He looked at The Elven King.

The Elven King set aside the book, and the doll in his arms also paused from playing with the silver hair of The Elven King. He looked up at The Elven King.

The Elven King fair hand gently stroked the doll tiny ear, then he spoke a sentence.

Ilodyer looked at him with a puzzled expression. The Elven King slowed down and repeated his words. Ilodyer pouted, revealing his displeasure. It didn't matter if he spoke slowly, he just didn't understand.

The Elven King seemed unusually patient today. He repeated his words slowly again. Despite his annoyance, Ilodyer found The Elven King voice truly pleasant; he thought that if The Elven King sang, it would be many times more beautiful than the current popular songs.

After finishing, The Elven King didn't repeat himself. He spoke in a more casual tone, "It seems you don't know Elvish. Is it because you've been in the human world for too long?" He lowered his head and kissed Ilodyer eyelid with a gentle touch.

"If you don't know Elvish, you won't be recognized as an Elf. Everyone is speaking Elvish now. Once you start talking, they'll know you don't understand Elvish, and they'll look down on you. So, should we start learning Elvish now?"

The Elven King voice was soft and deep. Ilodyer reluctantly nodded. Having lived in the human world for over twenty years, learning a new language was indeed troublesome. Thinking back to when he learned English, Ilodyer closed his eyes in distress.

The sound of The Elven King light laughter reached his ears. The Elven King slender finger tapped Ilodyer round face.

Annoying... I'll bite! Ilodyer bit down, and The Elven King raised his hand, leaving Ilodyer hanging in the air.

Waa... I don't want him to let go. I don't want to fall...

The Elven King finally placed him back on his lap. After playing around with Ilodyer for a while, he started teaching him how to speak.

The Elven King said two words, then looked at Ilodyer, indicating for him to repeat.

With a hesitant voice, Ilodyer repeated, "#￥...#%—"

"Not quite... it's..." The Elven King repeated.

"#￥...#%—"

"..."

After an afternoon of teaching, Ilodyer finally managed to say something resembling Elvish. The Elven King told him seriously, "The phrase you said earlier is a form of address for me. In human language, it means 'father'."

Why does that sound like 'husband'...

No choice, since The Elven King already said he should learn, then let's learn.

The Elven King explained that Elves are the children of the God Of Creation and existed even before the awakening of the sun and moon. They were bestowed with eternal life, immune to disease, and unafraid of cold or heat. Elves possessed beautiful appearances and magnificent singing voices. They awakened beneath the distant starry skies of the Farplane and were the first to create language.

Ilodyer halting speech wasn't very accurate, and he wasn't confident if he was learning it correctly, but he managed to understand some simple words in Elvish.

Sigh... being an Elf is tiring.