Chapter 30
“Soulmate…”
Kiara stared at Ael blankly, then gently tilted her head and murmured.
Ael, who had been getting ready to sleep and looked like he might doze off at any moment, stopped and asked,
“Don’t tell me… you really don’t know what ‘soulmate’ means?”
Come to think of it, Kiara had asked earlier what ‘soulmate’ meant. At first, he thought it was some kind of illusion magic, but now it seemed she truly didn’t know.
Serious now, Ael asked again, and Kiara stammered as she shook her head.
“Ah, no, I-I’ve heard the word before…”
“Hearing it and knowing what it means are two different things. Explain it to me, then — what is a soulmate?”
Ael narrowed his eyes suspiciously and stared at her.
But Kiara just blinked, saying nothing. During the wedding preparations, Raelin had mentioned the word soulmate several times, but Kiara had never heard a clear explanation. She’d only guessed at its meaning.
Finally, with an uncertain expression, she spoke.
“…A husband…?”
“Do I look like your husband?”
Ael snapped sharply, and Kiara immediately shut her mouth. Honestly, she had no idea what kind of relationship she had with Ael either. How could she know what a soulmate really was?
Kiara wracked her brain and recalled something she’d heard from Raelin.
‘We Altnebran people are different from the rest of the empire. We only look at one person for our entire lives, whether it be a spouse, lover, or companion.’
She still didn’t understand what that meant then or now. Only the proud shrug Raelin gave when she said it stuck in her mind.
‘Then why did she call it a soulmate but say it’s not a husband?’
Kiara furrowed her brows, deep in thought. Beside her, Ael ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
“Hah. Even for a witch… not knowing this much?”
“…I’m s-sorry…”
Lost in thought, Kiara lowered her head in embarrassment. At that moment, Ael’s brow furrowed harshly, and he spoke again.
“For what?”
His tone sounded almost like he was picking a fight. Kiara’s gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, flicked back up to him. His expression had suddenly turned fierce, and she felt a jolt of fear.
He’d been so nonchalant when he’d threatened Raelin earlier, so why was he this angry now?
“I don’t really know why… but I feel like I’ve done something wrong.”
Her tense shoulders shrank inward. But her excuse only twisted Ael’s stomach more.
“What do you mean? What are you apologizing for?”
Whenever someone a little stronger yells at you, gets angry, breaks something, you just say sorry, I did wrong, it’s all my fault.
You witches are all like that.
“Not knowing isn’t something to be sorry about, is it?”
Ael asked again, and Kiara could only blink in silence. Her eyes, swollen red with fear, looked almost black in the dim light. To Ael, those were all too familiar eyes.
It was a tired, scared look he’d seen far too many times.
Finally, he managed to suppress his anger and let out a faint sigh. This wasn’t any better than taking out his frustration on her.
“…I’ve heard that witches born in the Black Forest are little more than infants. They look like grown adults on the outside, but inside, they don’t know anything.”
Still simmering with anger, Ael deliberately pressed each word out in a curt tone. Compared to the threat in his voice earlier, his expression had softened somewhat, and Kiara hesitantly added:
“…I, I’m not good at speaking yet, either.”
“I know that.”
Instead of replying, Kiara nodded, and Ael clicked his tongue with a hint of pity.
Apparently, witches have their own language, and when they first appeared in the Black Forest, communication with them was impossible.
“For someone like you, you’ve picked it up quickly. I’ve seen witches who couldn’t even say a single word properly for a very long time.”
Kiara blinked rapidly at his words. She’d had her fair share of troubles struggling to communicate. Though she still couldn’t read, thanks to Raelin’s close guidance, she managed well enough to get by.
‘Come to think of it, he did say he’s seen another witch, didn’t he…?’
Where had he seen them? Would she ever meet other witches, too?
Caught by sudden curiosity, Kiara drifted into thought. Watching her lapse, Ael spoke again.
“A soulmate… is a little different from spouse or lover. I’ll explain, so come over here. I’m tired and don’t want to raise my voice.”
Suddenly, a voice calling her snapped Kiara back to reality.
Ael was tapping the side of the bed where he was sitting.
Though his gesture seemed somewhat gentle, a still frightened Kiara watched him warily like a cautious cat.
“You must be pretty tired, too, right? After all that… exertion I’ve put you through. Here, this is pretty soft…”
Ael’s tone was coaxing, like trying to charm a kitten, a warm smile tugging at his lips.
As if to say he wouldn’t harm her.
…Though honestly, that was almost scarier than his usual blank expression.
Finally, the tension drained from Kiara’s shoulders. She was indeed exhausted. Quietly, she moved closer as he beckoned and perched on the edge of the bed.
“Not sure if you’ve heard it before, but the Empire has an old saying: spouses belong to the family, lovers belong to each other, and soulmates belong to the gods.”
Though he’d said he was tired, Kiara noticed how truly exhausted he looked. As she settled nearby, Ael propped his head on his interlaced fingers and lay back. He stared at the ceiling and began to explain slowly.
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