The Acolyte of Spirits and Curses

A few minutes passed and the door to the wooden house slid open with a soft sound.

Orpheus stepped in, carrying a small basket filled with freshly gathered fruits.

She walked over and placed the basket gently on the bed beside them.

"...You two done talking?" she asked softly as her eyes briefly flickered between Klein and Elfaria.

Elfaria glanced at her for a moment, then exhaled faintly before leaning back just a little "Yeah..."

Klein rolled his shoulders slightly, relaxing back against the headboard.

Orpheus sat down beside him, close enough that her shoulder naturally brushed against his arm.

She reached into the basket and picked out a ripe piece of fruit before holding it out toward him. "Here."

Klein accepted it without complaint and took a bite, tasting the sweetness spreading through his mouth.

Elfaria watched the two of them for a moment before tilting her head slightly "Fruit as the first thing in the morning? Shouldn’t you have something like tea instead?"

Orpheus blinked and she looked genuinely confused by the question "...Tea?"

"Yes. Tea," Elfaria repeated. "You know, something warm to drink in the morning."

Orpheus stared at her for a few seconds before slowly shaking her head "I... don’t know how to make it."

Elfaria’s expression changed slightly "You don’t?"

Orpheus shook her head again, looking almost embarrassed "I never really needed to learn... I have seen what humans eat in the memories of some people, but I usually just eat fruits or whatever I can find here."

Elfaria looked around the wooden house for a moment, looking at the simple surroundings before letting out a small sigh.

"Oh yeah..."

Her gaze returned to Orpheus, and a faint smile appeared on her lips "Then I’ll bring some utensils next time."

Orpheus blinked. "Utensils?"

"Mhm. A proper kettle, cups, a few other things. I’ll teach you how to make tea properly."

Orpheus’s eyes brightened slightly at that "...You would?"

"Of course." Elfaria gave a small nod. "If you’re going to take care of him, you should at least learn how to make something decent for him in the morning."

"And there is something else I’d like to teach you."

Orpheus looked at her curiously. "Something else?"

"Rune magic."

Orpheus paused "Rune magic?"

Elfaria nodded. "You already have an excellent understanding of spirit energy, and your control over spiritual power is much better. If you learn rune magic as well, you should be able to combine the two."

Orpheus looked genuinely interested "I’ve never learned rune magic before."

"That makes two of us," Klein muttered, chewing the fruit.

Elfaria turned toward him "Actually, that reminds me. Do humans use rune magic?"

Klein stopped chewing for a moment.

He thought about it briefly before shaking his head.

"Not that I’ve seen."

Elfaria raised an eyebrow slightly "So humans don’t use runes at all?"

"Not really. At least, humans in this world don’t seem to know rune magic."

Elfaria’s expression became thoughtful "That’s strange."

Klein tilted his head slightly. "Why?"

"Rune magic isn’t exactly something that belongs exclusively to elves,"

"There are different systems of rune construction, but the basic principles can be learned by almost any intelligent race capable of manipulating mana."

She glanced toward Orpheus again "Even spirits can learn certain forms of it if they have enough control over their energy."

Orpheus listened carefully, "So... it’s something that anyone can learn?"

"Technically, yes."

Elfaria smiled faintly "But that doesn’t mean it’s easy."

Orpheus nodded slowly "I’d like to learn."

Taking a bite of his fruit, Klein nodded "Hmm... it would be useful for you to do some basic work."

Orpheus looked between the two of them, then quietly leaned against Klein’s shoulder again while holding the fruit in her hand.

For someone who had spent so long living alone within the Spirit Realm, the simple conversation felt strangely warm to her.

Having someone to teach her things she had never known.

And, most importantly, having people around her who made the quiet wooden house feel less empty than it had ever been before.

---

After a while, the basket of fruits had been reduced to only a few pieces, and the conversation between the three gradually became more relaxed.

Klein leaned back against the headboard and glanced toward the window, noticing that the sunlight had shifted considerably since he first woke up.

He paused for a moment before letting out a quiet breath. "I should probably leave soon, or I’m going to be late for the date."

"I should at least arrive on time. It would be rude to keep her waiting."

Elfaria reached up, gently caressing his cheek with the back of her fingers.

"Good luck," she murmured, leaning closer before giving him a soft kiss.

When she pulled away, her lips curved into a small smile. "And don’t embarrass that poor Duke girl during your date."

Klein raised an eyebrow. "Why would I embarrass her?"

Elfaria gave him a knowing look. "Because I know you."

Orpheus, who had been watching them quietly, suddenly tilted her head.

There was a trace of curiosity in her expression as she looked from Elfaria to Klein "Elfaria..."

Elfaria turned toward her. "Hm?"

"Aren’t you jealous?"

The question made Klein glance toward Orpheus as well, but Elfaria simply smiled "Jealous?"

Orpheus nodded. "He is going on a date with another woman, and he is with me too... so, aren’t you jealous?"

Elfaria’s eyes softened as she looked at Orpheus, and then she turned back toward Klein.

"Of course I’m jealous."

Klein blinked.

Elfaria suddenly leaned forward and kissed him again, "But Klein is like a honey hive. Of course bees are going to be attracted to him."

Orpheus looked between them, apparently trying to understand the comparison.

Elfaria continued to caress Klein’s cheek, but the warmth in her smile slowly changed into something more possessive.

Her gaze darkened slightly as she looked directly into his eyes "However..."

Her thumb traced lightly along his cheek "There can only be one queen bee in this bee hive."

Klein stared at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on his lips.

Elfaria glanced toward Orpheus "I’m not saying he can’t have friends or spend time with other women. I know there will always be people attracted to him. That’s simply what happens when someone like him walks around."

She turned back toward Klein "But they should remember that the honey already has a queen."

Klein shook his head with an amused sigh "You’re becoming more possessive."

Smiling, Elfaria glanced at Orpheus "So... I hope you will remember that, Mother."

Orpheus nodded immediately "Of course, of course. I understand."

She turned toward Klein and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips before smiling warmly at him. "Alright, Husband. Good luck with your date."

Elfaria’s eyes slowly shifted toward Orpheus "...What did you just say?"

Orpheus froze "Eh?"

A faint pressure began to seep from Elfaria’s body, and the atmosphere inside the wooden house changed instantly.

Klein glanced between the two women and immediately recognized the situation ’Oh, this is going to be troublesome.’

Orpheus moved back slightly "It’s just... a habit."

She instinctively moved closer to Klein as though using him as a shield "H-Husband..."

Klein sighed and rubbed his forehead "Alright, see you both later."

"H-Husband! Help me!"

"Stop calling him that."

"But he is my husband..."

"Are you trying to become his first wife?"

"What?"

Orpheus: （>﹏<）

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