Chapter 202: A Great Upheaval Approaches
After that bombshell announcement, Ambrose tugged lightly on Catherine's sleeve, signaling that she could leave.
Catherine hurriedly turned and walked back into the castle. Although she felt that Ambrose's words had been a bit too harsh on the other man's dignity, she also understood that his method was far more effective than her previous attempts at rejection. Sure enough, the lich kept his promises.
Ambrose's speech left Brandir standing shell-shocked. For the first time, the goddess of his heart had spoken to him with cold finality. Even when she rejected him before, her tone had been gentle. She would offer a few comforting words, worried he might feel hurt.
It was precisely because of that gentleness that Brandir had believed he still had a chance.
Only now, when the gap between them was laid bare so bluntly, did he realize the truth. In her eyes, his pursuit had been nothing but an insult.
The elves had already stood above the other races during the era of the Dragon Tyrant. The Court of the Silver Moon had been considered a paradise, a utopia, for a millennium.
Meanwhile, the druids had only settled in the Emerald Dreamwood after the Dragon Tyrant was slain. In terms of national heritage, the Emerald Dreamwood was far inferior to the Court of the Silver Moon—not to mention the broader gulf between humans and elves at large.
Brandir had been shamed into realizing that he was reaching far above his station.
His declaration that he would abandon everything and devote everything was like a child offering candy in exchange for an adult's gold. To him, it felt like a tremendous sacrifice, but to others, it would only look like childish opportunism.