Let's start over, Your Majesty.

Chapter 305 Extra: Yumilia's Journey

"Mommy, what is the sea?"

"The sea is like a very, very big pond, it's blue, and there are lots and lots of fish in it, and people are sailing around in boats on it."

"Hmm, bigger than our forest?"

"That's way too big."

Freya affectionately ruffled her daughter's hair and said with a smile.

"Oh"

Yumilia nodded as if she understood, and continued to flip through the picture book in her hands, looking at the boundless blue ocean on the somewhat worn book.

"Mom, why is the sea blue?" she asked again.

"This..." Freya tilted her head and thought for a moment, then smiled helplessly, "Mom doesn't know either."

"Oh," Yumilia blinked, then looked at the peeling paint on the ceiling under the dim yellow light.

I really want to see the sea.

Freya looked at her daughter's longing eyes, her lips moved, but in the end she only touched her cheek.

"Sweetie, when you grow up, you can go see the sea."

“But Grandpa said that there are dangerous things outside. If we leave the forest and the town, we will be caught and eaten,” Yumilia said sadly, pouting.

"Don't be afraid, Mommy's here. When you grow up, Mommy will take you to see the sea," Freya said gently.

"Oh"

Yumilia nodded obediently.

"Alright, it's getting late, time to sleep." Freya took her picture book and put it aside, speaking softly to her.

"Mother."

"Ok?"

"Dad, when are you coming back?" she asked innocently.

Freya paused for a moment, then smiled again: "Father will be back soon. He will take us away from this forest."

"Oh," Yumilia nodded as if she understood, "I miss him so much. Last time he came, he even brought me some delicious orange candy."

"Alright, you little glutton, stop thinking about food. Be good and go to sleep." Freya rubbed her head.

"Then, I want to listen to music while I sleep,"

Freya picked up a music box from the table, wound it up, and the music box slowly unfolded. A tiny silver figure danced gracefully, accompanied by lively music.
The music box was placed beside Yumilia's pillow. Freya pulled the blanket up for her and gently kissed her cheek.
Goodnight, my love.

"Good night, Mom."

Freya got up and turned off the light. Yumilia listened to the music, but her eyes were wide open as she stared at the moonlit ceiling.

"So hungry."

This is a remote town in the southern part of the Kingdom of Fein, and in the forest not far from this town lies the last territory of Romania.

At dawn, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the echoes of the morning bell resounded from this antique mansion. The 523-year-old Elven King, Jordan Thranduil, rose to wash and prepare for the occasion.
He disdained using industrial waste made by human races. What he used were formulas that were the crystallization of wisdom passed down in Romania for thousands of years (even if he could no longer afford the raw materials and could only use inferior ones). He would apply that sticky, pungent-smelling tooth powder to his mouth, then drink water and rinse his mouth. He had been doing this for hundreds of years, and despite his advanced age, his teeth were still as fresh as if they were new.

Then the elderly Elf Queen Jolinasa would come and help him change into a silk royal robe that had been washed until it was faded, but it was probably the most valuable thing in the house.

“Jordan, the hen that laid eggs at home was killed by a fox in the woods yesterday, so I have to go to town today to buy two chicks,” Jorina said as she straightened his clothes.

“One is enough,” Jordan said casually.

“Yumeria is only six years old and needs nutrition,” Jolinasa said, frowning.

"What nutrition? Have you been reading too many human books? We elves grow by absorbing the essence of nature! Food is just a byproduct. Don't be as fragile as humans! Always needing this and that!" Jordan shouted.

"She's still young, and sooner or later she'll discover her own advantages as an elf."

"Humph."

Jorina tightly fastened his belt, snorted angrily, and walked away without looking back.

At breakfast, only four people sat at the large long table: the king in the main seat, the queen to his right, and the kingdom's two princesses to his left.

Their food consisted of a bowl of thick noodle soup, boiled potatoes with some salt, and an egg.

The only egg belonged to the still young Princess Yumilia.

Breakfast must begin with a prayer, as is customary. His Majesty the King took the lead, sitting up solemnly and reciting in a low voice:
"Great spirit of nature, eternal spirit king Gilungamede, we, your descendants, offer you our most sincere blessings, thanking you for bestowing upon us abundant food, a symbol of your grace."

Yumilia muttered to herself, then secretly raised her eyes to look at her mother beside her, and saw a small spider slowly crawling up the table leg.

She stole a glance at her grandfather, hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed the spider.

"Cough cough!"

Jordan opened his eyes and looked at her seriously.

Yumilia secretly stuck out her tongue and put the little spider into her pocket.

The prayers were over, and finally it was time to eat.

Yumilia sipped her soup, a thin porridge seasoned only with a pinch of salt, while maintaining the proper dining manners of a noblewoman, lest she incur a fierce glare from His Majesty the King. Just as she carefully ate her boiled egg, Freya hesitated and said:

"Father."

"Hmm," Jordan said softly, tilting his head back.

"It's time for Yumilia to start studying. There's a school in town, I think..."

“I’ll teach her,” Jordan said coldly.

"but."

"What 'but'? Jordan immediately said, "When has the knowledge of elves ever been inferior to that of humans! If you want her to be even better, then I'll have to teach her!"

"Dad said that human technology is very advanced now, and there are even ships that can fly in the sky," Yumilia said to herself in a low voice.

Snapped!
Jordan's face turned a deep shade of liver. He slammed his fist on the table and roared at Yumilia:
"Don't! Mention that man!"

Yumilia was startled and quickly lowered her head.

“Let’s go, Yumilia.” Freya calmly took Yumilia’s hand and led her away from the table.

"You're breaking the rules! Reflect on your actions! Reflect on your actions!"

"If you dare send Yumilia to a human school, I'll break your legs!"

The old king behind him was still slamming his fist on the table and roaring angrily.

The Empress sighed and tidied up the dishes on the table.

This is the current state of the Kingdom of Romania. From a very young age, Yumilia was told that she was a citizen of the great elven kingdom of Romania, and that her name carried the surname of the elven royal family, which had been passed down for thousands of years.

She didn't understand much about these things, only that she was starving every day. If it weren't for the strong vitality of elves, she might already be a emaciated and pale-faced person.

She had seen her father when she was very young; he was a very handsome man. But she hadn't seen him since she was three or four years old.

My grandfather referred to the man as a traitor, while my mother often told her about how outstanding he was.

But ultimately, she longed to go out and see the world described in picture books.
Cars that can run incredibly fast, boats that can fly, skyscrapers and bustling cities, and all sorts of delicious sweet snacks.

Unfortunately, the farthest she ever went was to that small town outside the forest, where her mother would take her every month to buy daily necessities.
My mother didn't let her use the daily necessities that my grandfather made himself, such as toothpaste and toothbrush; she used the ones bought from the town.

Although the town was small, it was the most prosperous place she had ever seen.

The happiest time was when she went to town with her mother. When they were about to go back, Freya counted how many daka she had left, so she took her to the bakery and bought a small cake. The mother and daughter sat on the steps and ate the sweet cake bite by bite. Freya especially liked the lemon flavor, which was sour and sweet. She would drool every time she thought about it.

Unfortunately, sometimes you might not even be able to eat it once a month.
The kingdom's sources of revenue, besides selling some of its own crops, were limited to selling off household belongings.

In the end, Freya did not let Jordan teach Yumilia, but chose to do it herself.

If you let that kind of old-fashioned person teach their child, I really don't know what kind of person Yumilia will become.

Today is the day to go out and buy daily necessities. We need to inform Jordan in advance and obtain permission before leaving the forest.

Freya wrapped a bundle of red grass, picked up the basket, and led Yumilia out of the forest and into the town.

Hand-red grass can be used as an ingredient in an anti-inflammatory medicine, so many pharmacies buy it, making it the most profitable. Currently, their only advantage as elves is their excellent land cultivation skills.
Upon arriving at the pharmacy, Freya completed the transaction for the herbs. She held a crumpled stack of banknotes in her hand, totaling twelve gold lang and seven daka. Since the Hand Red Grass matures every two months, this was considered their income for two months. The pharmacy owner had kindly given them a little extra.

Counting the few bills she had, Freya sighed and smiled at Yumilia, saying:
"Let's go shopping."

Because I planned to start teaching Yumilia, I spent two extra gold taels to buy ink, a fountain pen, an old book, and some paper.

In the end, only two Dhaka coins remained.

This amount of money isn't even enough to buy the cheapest cupcake.

Seeing that her daughter kept staring in the direction of the bakery, she could only take her hand.

"Sweetie, Mommy will make you something delicious when we get back."

"Um"

Yumilia nodded obediently.

The mother and son held hands and walked towards the edge of the town.

As they passed a small tavern at the edge of town, a man whistled at them:
"Oh! Beautiful fairy lady! Are you lonely all alone in the forest? Would you like us to keep you company?"

"You can have as many men as you want here!"

"Hahaha! What are you thinking? Elves are all supposed to be celibate, but who knows what happens in bed?"

Freya frowned at the men's teasing, and could only pull Yumilia along faster.

But some drunk men actually followed her, shoving her with smiles and whistling frivolously as they approached her.

But suddenly, as if they had seen something terrifying, the drunkards' expressions changed and they ran back.

Freya breathed a sigh of relief, but when she turned her head, she saw a tall man in an officer's uniform standing in front of her.
Her pretty face was first shocked, then filled with incredible joy.

"Griffith!"

“I’m back, Freya.” The handsome officer smiled and opened his arms to her.

Yumilia was still a little bewildered when she realized that her mother had let go of her and rushed into the man's arms.

(End of this chapter)