But when she thought about it, this was exactly how Vanessa had always been. That too, then, was one of the things that hadn’t changed. She didn’t think it was a bad thing, but even so, her voice caught in her throat for just a moment.
“Yeah. It’s been a while.” So she simply repeated herself. It was true, after all. Nothing strange about saying it again.
“What are you doing here? Doesn’t seem like much of a place for the Elven Queen to be hanging around.”
The reply that came, blunt and dismissive, left Noel momentarily speechless. Of course, she knew that Vanessa had always spoken that way. It didn’t mean anything more than that. There was no malice in it.
But at the same time, it only meant that. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of warmth in her words. No hint of emotion at reuniting after years apart. It was as if she were saying, You mean nothing to me.
And Noel couldn’t say for sure that Vanessa didn’t mean it. In truth, it wouldn’t be strange if that were the case. They had only lived together for a short time. Calling her cold for this would be unfair. To Noel, Vanessa was a savior. But to Vanessa, Noel was probably just a child she’d happened to take in.
She understood that. She’d always understood that. She thought she had accepted it. But now that she was face-to-face with it, she found herself unable to say anything. Still.
Perhaps it was because she had spent the past few years as the Elven Queen. Whatever emotions welled up inside her, surfacing and fading one after another, she pressed them all down with a single quiet sigh.
“Not really. I was feeling a bit nostalgic, thinking about the old days. And I’m genuinely curious too.”
“Come to think of it, you were that strange kid who always took an interest in blacksmithing.”
“Strange? That’s rude.”
It wasn’t as if she’d had a particular passion for smithing. It was just that Vanessa had only ever done blacksmithing, so naturally, Noel’s attention had been drawn to it.
“Well, whatever. So? What did you come for? Don’t tell me you dropped by just to say hi.”
“You’re right. Honestly, you really haven’t changed at all.”
Noel let out a sigh, half exasperated. She’d thought maybe something would’ve shifted now that Vanessa had moved from her isolated mountain home into a proper town, but clearly, nothing had. Even this short exchange was more than enough to make that perfectly clear.
“Well, fine. So you’re asking why I came, right? Of course there’s a reason,” Noel continued.
“Spare me the rambling. Just get to the point. As you can see, I’m busy.”
“Busy, huh. You’re just hammering out swords no one’s going to buy again, aren’t you?”
“Tch.”
No rebuttal, which meant she was right. Truly, nothing had changed. Vanessa had always made swords, not to sell them, but simply to make them. Sure, she sold some occasionally, but that was never the goal. It just happened. She forged swords endlessly, as if the act of forging itself was the goal.
Noel had never really known why. Maybe she simply loved it. Or maybe... Maybe she didn’t know what else to do. Noel had never asked and probably never would. She knew, even if she asked, Vanessa wouldn’t answer. What Noel did know was that Vanessa would keep hammering steel no matter what. Even now, just like always.
“Honestly. You’d think since it’s been a while since we talked, you could stop for a moment.”
“If there’s something more important than forging swords, I’ll stop.”
So basically, talking to Noel didn’t qualify. Noel stifled the emotion that flared in her chest with a quiet sigh, then spoke, as if to shake it off.
“Fine. Whatever. I didn’t come for anything big. I just wanted to finally say thank you. I never got the chance back then.”
“Thanks? For what?”
“For when I left, obviously. Everything happened so fast, everything was hectic, and you... You just kept hammering away like always. I ended up leaving without even saying a proper goodbye. Then afterward, I had so much to do, I couldn’t find the time to come back and thank you.”
So much had happened since then. As the Elven Queen, there were countless things Noel had needed to do and just as many things she had to learn. Everyone had told her not to rush, to take it at her own pace, but even so, she was the one who had chosen to become queen.
When they had come to fetch her, Noel had had a choice. She could have stayed. She could have refused the crown. The people who had come for her had never tried to force anything. They’d said she was free to decide, that even if she chose not to become queen, they would find another way.
But even as a child, even with no memories of her past, Noel could tell they were only saying that to be kind. So she had chosen to become their queen. And having made that choice herself, she had no intention of turning back. No matter how hard it became, she would see it through.
It had been hard but not unbearable. Far from it. There was meaning in it. Purpose. Still, because of that, she’d had no chance to return to the mountain, and before she knew it, years had passed.
Then came the turmoil in the empire, which made her even busier. But in the end, that mess brought her to this country. By coincidence, she had learned that Vanessa was here.
“Hmph.” As if to deny everything Noel had just laid bare, Vanessa snorted. “I told you back then, didn’t I? There’s nothing worth thanking me for. I only picked you up by chance. After that, I didn’t do a damn thing. You know that better than anyone.”
“That’s...”
She was right. Vanessa had saved her life, yes. But after that, she hadn’t exactly doted on Noel. If anything, Noel had been the one looking after her. Even so...
“Is that all you came for? Then get lost. I already told you, I’m busy.” Vanessa didn’t even glance in her direction as she spoke. She said no more after that.
Shocked, Noel instinctively opened her mouth, trying to say something...but no words came. The sound of hammering steel filled the silence.
Noel turned her back to Vanessa. She knew. She knew that anything else she tried to say now would be pointless. Without so much as a goodbye, she began to walk.
Vanessa didn’t speak. Neither did Noel. She made her way to the edge of the room. And just once, just one last time, she looked back. Vanessa continued to hammer, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As if even this final moment wasn’t worth acknowledging. As if even a single glance in Noel’s direction wasn’t worth the effort.
Still, Noel swallowed the sigh rising in her throat. Even if it was small and meaningless, that was her pride. And with that she left, with nothing resolved and nothing gained.