"Does it still hurt?" Medusa asked. "Can you move it properly?"

"It doesn't hurt," Cherry replied as she swung her reattached arm left and right. "It feels weird. It's like my arm was never cut off in the first place."

"That is for the best. Come, let's go to the Arcade and play shooting games."

"Un! Erinys, are you coming?"

The Half-ling smiled before shaking her head. She then wrote something in the air, which later shone, allowing Medusa and Cherry to read it.

"Will called for me. I will go to see him first then I will come to the arcade."

Cherry was still afraid of the Half-Elf, but after getting her arm back, this fear decreased by a little bit. 

However, she would still run away and hide if she saw the black-haired teenager. Because of this, William had decided to let Medusa take care of the Virtuous Girl of Charity, while he handled the important things regarding the upcoming war with the Holy Order of Light.

Several minutes later, Erinys arrived in William's room in the Villa of the Thousand Beast Domain.

After knocking twice, the Half-ling heard the black-haired teenager's voice, calling her inside the room.

The moment she entered the room, Erinys saw William looking at the projection of the Palace of Light. There were various labels attached in different areas, telling him of their importance and function.

The Half-Elf momentarily shifted his attention to the doll-like beauty whom he had allowed to wander inside his Domain and gestured for her to come close to him.

Erinys smiled and walked towards the Half-Elf who was sitting cross legged on the bed. 

"Did you have fun playing with Medusa?" William asked in a gentle tone as soon as the Half-ling climbed up on the bed to sit in front of him. 

Erinys nodded. She had only spent two days with Medusa, and yet, those two days were filled with fun that she didn't feel too lonely even if she wasn't with the black-haired teenager who was smiling at her.

"I have good news for you," William said as he held Erinys' two delicate hands and looked her in the eyes. "I have acquired a temporary voice that sounds almost the same as the one you lost in the Underworld."

Erinys' eyes widened in shock after hearing the Half-Elf's words. She had already resigned herself to not being able to talk for a long time during her stay in the Surface World. Now that she was suffering the same fate as the Little Mermaid, she finally understood her hardships.

However, their circumstances were different.

The Little Mermaid wasn't able to remain by her Prince's side.

She, on the other hand, was brought to the Surface World by her own Prince, who deeply cared about her.

"Do you want it?" William asked in a teasing tone.

Erinys pouted and lightly pounded William's chest with her closed fist. Clearly, she wanted to speak again, so that she could tell the Half-Elf the words that had remained unsaid between the two of them.

"If you really want it then kiss my lips," William said with a devilish smile on his face. "Only by doing so will you get your voice back. So, will you kiss me, Erinys?"

The Half-ling blushed after hearing William's words. Although she had kissed him on the lips when he was sleeping, kissing him while he was awake was a different thing. 

Even so, it only took her a minute to decide before resolving herself to kiss the black-haired teenager, who was waiting for her to take the initiative to kiss him.

'You bully.'

Erinys said softly. She knew that William was able to read her lips, so she didn't mind telling him her dissatisfaction. 

The Half-ling then moved closer to William and cupped his face.

Soon, her soft lips found his as she tried to kiss him using the technique she had seen in one of the telenovelas she had watched on Methflix.

Although a bit clumsy, she and William kissed for a good while. It was at that moment when a golden orb of light passed from William's lips towards Erinys.

A warm, and soothing feeling washed over Erinys body as the golden orb of light did its magic. This was the final product of Optimus' hard work in order to allow the Half-ling to talk again.

Truth be told, William liked Erinys' voice. It had a unique lively tone that made him feel refreshed, even though his freelance job at the Host Club always wore him out, due to how demanding his clients were.

"Hafu… Mhm… Hah…"

A sigh of pleasure escaped Erinys' lips as soon as the golden orb of light had fully merged with her body. 

When the feelings of warmth subsided, Erinys looked at William and opened her lips.

"Thank you, Will."

The Half-Elf smiled because Erinys' voice sounded almost exactly the same as her original voice. Although it wasn't perfect, the Half-ling was very happy because she could finally talk again.

"Will, thank you for bringing me with you," Erinys said as tears started to stream down the sides of her face. "I was so lonely in the Underworld, until you came."

The Half-ling's heartfelt words flowed without stop, alongside the tears that were falling from her beautiful blue eyes. 

"I'm glad I met you." the Half-ling buried her face on William's chest as her body trembled due to excessive sobbing. "You're the best birthday present I ever had in my life."

Feeling the warm tears that were drenching his clothes, the Half-Elf wrapped his arms around Erinys before patting her head, in order to assure her that everything was going to be fine.

"Tough times are up ahead, Erinys," William said softly. "You might regret your decision to come to the Surface World, and also, you might regret coming with me to my home world. These are not peaceful times, and a war is going to break out. I will not always be there to stay by your side, but I do hope that you will live a happy life here in Hestia."

Erinys pulled back and looked at William with teary eyes. She was well aware that the world she had come to wasn't a peaceful one, but she didn't have any regrets. Although her house was in the middle of a river of flames in the Underworld, she never felt any warmth from it.

Only the coldness of loneliness accompanied her as she grew up. This was why her heart was brimming with happiness as she played with Medusa, and Cherry, who were almost the same height as her. 

She felt as if the little Gorgon and the little mischievous girl, who had just regained her arm, were her long lost sisters, and they were reuniting after many years had passed.

"Will, I don't know if I'm in love with you, but I do hope that this feeling in my heart is love," Erinys said as she held William's gaze. "I want to stay in love, and spend my days with you in this world that is filled with light and life. After this war is over, can you travel with me to see this world?"

"Okay," William replied as he wiped the tears in the Half-ling's eyes. "After this war is over. Let's travel to a place, far from any conflict. Would you like that?"

"Yes," Erinys said as she raised her head and closed her eyes. "I'd love that."

William lowered his head and kissed the lips that Erinys had offered to him. Just like her, he didn't know if his feelings for her were love. But, he hoped that it was love.

After all, he had no intention of letting the doll-like beauty in his arms, who had lived and suffered alone in the Underworld, to be taken away from his embrace to return to that cold, and hellish, place that she called her home.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read