When it comes to an elf's flower crown, it's not like Shien was completely disinterested.
Although it's true that this flower crown doesn't have any real abilities. However, for those who have them, if they end up meeting other elves in the future, the meaning behind the flower crown would end up being quite useful.
After all, no one understands the meaning of the existence of the flower crowns better than elves. Nor were there any beings who knew better than the elves just what kind of person would have such a flower crown.
Having such a flower crown means that the person in question had won the recognition of a fellow elf.
Then, even for the elves who were all guarded against others, when they see such a flower crown, they would at least relax their guard somewhat, and thus be more willing to accept that person, right?
Thus, an elf's flower crown is a proof of friendship and acceptance. Having it basically means having the friendship of the elven race. Thus, it's quite obvious very meaningful.
Shien watched Melika as she made the crown. He was quite surprised.
"It that really fine?"
The meaning behind those words were simple. He was basically asking Melika if it was really alright to give such an important flower crown to him so easily.
Putting everything else aside, Melika had already said that this was the first elven flower crown that she had ever made. That meant that even Vivian, Diere, and Lumia haven't gotten such a gift.
With that already established, he himself was someone that she was guarded against. Plus, they weren't particularly close at all. And yet she would give such an important flower crown to him just like that. Shien couldn't help but be suspicious.
Melika naturally understood Shien's confusion and surprise.
Thus, Melika's own hand slowed somewhat in their work. Her head stayed down, and in that position she was silent for a while before she finally spoke.
"Actually, there was another meaning for giving this to you beyond just as a token of thanks."
Melika spoke such words.
"Another meaning?"
Shien blinked.
Melika didn't answer.
It wasn't that she didn't want to answer, but that she was too embarrassed.
Really, what Melika thought was that if she were to give him this flower crown, then when Shien meets other elves in the future, they might be able to avoid her own mistakes.
Since she herself felt an abnormal closeness to Shien, then it wasn't unlikely for that to happen with other elves too.
And when other elves felt the same thing as she did toward Shien, they would definitely end up reacting just like Melika and be disturbed by this strange sensation, right?
If that happened, then they would naturally repeat Melika's own actions, become guarded against Shien, and from that, conflict may arise.
For the sake of preventing such a thing, Melika thought of giving him a flower crown.
For one, it could act as a gift as thanks and an apology. Secondly, if Shien meets another elf, and that other elf sees this flower crown, they'd know that Shien had gained the recognition of a fellow elf, and thus won't be so guarded anymore.
Plus…
"I can tell. Big sis Vivian and Diere both actually trust you a lot. Even guildmaster Leili believes in you a great deal, so you're definitely worthy of such trust."
Melika still hasn't raised her head, but she did quietly speak up.
"For me… It had already become like this, but I was still helped by you. So, be it as thanks or as an apology, I hope that this flower crown would have that much value."
Shien basically understood Melika's words.
Simply put, the elf girl already knew full well that he was someone worthy of her trust, but she still just could not truly trust him, emotionally speaking. She herself was ashamed by that, and she even loathed herself somewhat for it. Then, adding that other meaning, finally, she resolved to give the first elven flower crown she made to Shien.
In other words, this flower crown didn't represent trust or closeness, but rather was given out of Melika's own goals.
"Sorry. My motives weren't very pure."
Melika thus dropped her head even lower.
Shien ended up scratching his own head at that. He had no real response to that.
Given the current atmosphere, what Shien should do is to comfort Melika with kind and gentle words and do his best to better her mood. That's the normal development.
With that, Melika's own relationship meter would rise a ton and let Shien leave a strong impression in her heart.
In the future, that impression will slowly become love, and Shien would thus win a beautiful love interest.
Don't ask why Shien knew all that. Practically all books were written this way.
If it was the normal Shien, he would definitely have done something to completely mess up such a cliched development.
And yet, as he watch Melika's depressed figure, Shien couldn't help but curse in his mind.
(How the hell am I supposed to just ignore this?)
Shien finally understood why was it that whenever the protagonist of some novel encounters such an event, they'd always charge in and act without a though.
So long as it's a normal man, there's no way that they'd be able to ignore the depressed figure of a beautiful girl.
Thus…
"Eh?"
A surprised voice rang out within those woods.
That voice was Melika's
"You?"
Melika looked at Shien with a shocked expression on her face.
It was because Shien had sat down in front of Melika without a word, reached out, and just like Melika, started picking the nearby flowers and crafting a flower crown.
"I don't know if you know this?" Shien spoke in a very casual tone without so much as raising his head as he constructed the flower crown, "Among human boys, making a flower crown and giving it to a member of the opposite gender is one of the common methods for picking up girls, you know?"
"Picking… Up…?" Melika was completely uncomprehending. She didn't understood what those words meant at all.
"Basically flirting." Shien let out a laugh, "If a boy were to personally make a flower crown and give it to you, then as a girl, you will generally feel like it's at least somewhat romantic, right?"
"That…" Melika didn't deny that.
Obviously, Melika basically agreed with him.
As elves who were close to nature, that particular method would indeed work against all elves, including Melika.
If it was in his previous life, Shien would probably not care about such a thing.
After all, rather than a flower crown, the woman of his previous life were more likely to want stuff like brand name purses or the keys to a Ferrari…
Of course, at this moment, Shien wouldn't go so far as to break the current atmosphere.
Thus, Shien instead spoke up.
"If a man were to make a flower crown, then chances are that he has impure motives you know?"
Shien showed Melika a mischievous grin before taking the flower crown that he finished at some point and placing it on Melika's head.
Then, Shien took the flower crown that Melika had made.
"Both sides had impure motives, so let's call it even."
When he finished, Shien took the flower crown, got up, turned about, and left.
"Wai…"
Only then did Melika finally manage to react. She tried to call out to Shien, but it was already too late.
Thus, Melika could only watch as Shien's figure disappeared into the woods. Only after some time did she finally touch the flower crown set on her head.
"I never imagined that an elf could receive someone else's flower crown."
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