At that moment, brilliant golden flames ignited within Elena’s body, blazing like the scorching fire of the sun itself!

Those golden flames rapidly spread in every direction until the entire room was engulfed, burning everything inside and reducing it to ashes within moments. Yet the fire did not die down afterward—instead, it continued raging, growing fiercer with every passing second.

At the center of those flames, Rios and Elena stared at the magnificent yet terrifying sight in complete astonishment after the bed burned away like everything else, causing them both to fall onto the floor.

Golden fire covered their bodies, but it did not harm them in the slightest. They felt no heat from it; instead, it was warm and comforting, almost like paradise itself.

"W-What is this...?" Elena sat on Rios’s lap and looked in shock at the golden flames burning across her body and throughout the entire room, creating a scene that was both breathtaking and destructive.

"It seems your body has finally been released from its seal." Rios smiled reassuringly and looked at Elena with affection.

"My body... has... been released!" Elena muttered in disbelief as she looked down at her hands and her naked body, from which the golden flames seemed to originate. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as she turned toward Rios.

"But why aren’t the flames hurting you?!" Elena looked at Rios’s body, which was burning just like hers as though it were another source of the fire, her tear-filled eyes unable to hold back their happiness.

Rios smiled and gently caressed Elena’s face as she rested against him.

"Why would they harm me when I was the one who freed them? In fact, I should say I’ve developed an affinity with them."

The moment Elena heard those words, she lunged at him without warning, pressed her lips against his, and their tongues once again tangled in battle.

She had finally overcome her fear and embarrassment.

Or... at least mostly.

"It seems my beloved has become bolder, like a fierce tigress." Gazing into Elena’s golden eyes, which resembled two blazing stars, Rios smiled and asked, "Shall we go for another round?"

Without saying a word, Elena cupped his head with both hands, pounced on him, and boldly bit his lower lip, surrendering herself to instinct and desire.

Delighted by her newfound fierceness, Rios returned her kisses with even greater passion. One hand moved to caress her chest while the other wrapped around her waist before he lifted her and laid her beneath him.

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Outside Elena’s small palace, guards rushed in from every direction, yet none of them could get anywhere close.

"What’s happening here?!" Thandria and Etham hurried over and stood in the garden, frozen in shock and terror.

Golden flames engulfed the entire palace, dancing and intertwining into a scene that was both magnificent and horrifying.

The bodies of Thandria, Etham, and everyone who approached or even looked at those flames trembled uncontrollably. An instinctive fear spread through them, making them feel as though they were being forced to kneel.

Beside Thandria, one of the flowers bloomed and spoke with Rios’s voice, delivering instructions to Thandria and Etham.

"There’s no need to worry. Everything is under control. Keep everyone away from Queen Elena’s palace, and all will be well."

"My Lord!"

The moment Thandria and Etham heard Rios’s voice beside them, they were startled. But upon realizing it came from a flower, they immediately knelt, and everyone behind them followed suit.

"As you command, My Lord!"

Naturally, Rios had anticipated something like this. The moment the flames erupted throughout the palace, he knew such a commotion would occur, so he had taken precautions beforehand by using the Tree of Life’s ability to communicate through surrounding plants and project his voice through them.

"Oh, and don’t forget to send some clothes for me and the Queen with one of the maids after these flames calm down."

Then, as if remembering something, he continued in an authoritative tone,

"And another thing: Queen Elena will marry me on the day of the coronation, the day after tomorrow, becoming the first Elf Queen in history to wed."

After receiving Rios’s orders, everyone dispersed to carry out their tasks, leaving him and Elena alone once more.

The following morning, the stellar flames gradually began to subside until they disappeared completely.

Everything that had once been Queen Elena’s palace had been burned to ashes. Even the palace walls had not been spared.

On the right side of where the palace had stood—where Elena’s personal chamber should have been—there was now a dome woven from green branches, resembling an igloo made entirely of living wood.

A short distance away in the garden, far from the palace and the deadly heat of the flames, two Elf maids stood waiting, each holding a robe as King Rios had instructed.

"Do you think His Majesty and Her Majesty are alright?" one maid asked anxiously as she watched the flames recede.

"I don’t know... but we’re about to find out," the other replied nervously.

At that moment, two branches emerged from the wooden dome, seized the garments the maids were carrying, and swiftly pulled them inside.

The two maids froze where they stood as though time itself had stopped.

Everything had happened too quickly for either of them to comprehend, but after several stunned moments, they bowed respectfully, left the garden, and waited outside.

Inside the wooden dome, Rios and Elena sat naked, facing one another.

Their battle had ended some time ago after lasting for more than an entire night, but they had remained where they were until the stellar flames finally vanished.

Thanks to the Blessing of Life skill Rios had used on Elena, nearly all of her exhaustion had faded.

Rios handed the clothes to Elena, and the two of them began getting dressed.

"You can go now. There’s only about a day left before the coronation. Get some proper rest and become familiar with your new body. Don’t worry or trouble yourself over anything—I am here now."

Rios smiled as he admired Elena’s beauty, which had become overwhelmingly enchanting after her sealed body awakened. He gently kissed her lips before bidding her farewell.

"Mmm."

Elena nodded, fully aware of how deeply he cared for her. She was no longer nearly as shy around him as before. Returning his kiss, she finally turned to leave.

But just before she reached the exit, Rios called out to her again.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I’d like to take a walk around the city, so if you’re free this afternoon, I’d like you to be my guide."

Hearing his request, Elena turned back, smiled softly, and quietly left without saying a single word.

Left alone beneath the dome of branches, Rios watched her departing silhouette until a smile spread across his face.

"System, open the status panel."