Chapter 41
“There’s… a way to undo it?”
Kiara sat beside him and asked. Just moments ago, she’d been pouting in protest, but now she was positively glowing at the thought of ending the bond. Ael turned to stare at her for a moment.
I didn’t exactly want this either, but… does she have to look that thrilled?
“Maeve. You probably ran into him once, at the chapel. Long silver hair, blue eyes… looks like a girl, that one.”
Ael’s words brought to mind a young man’s face — just a brief image that flickered past. Silver hair that brushed his shoulders, clear blue eyes. He didn’t quite look girlish, not exactly. Delicate and fine features, yes, but unmistakably male.
“So you do remember him. Well, not surprising. He does stand out a bit among all those grim-looking bastards. Believe it or not, that one’s a military mage.”
“…Is he the mage you mentioned before?”
Ael, who had been unfastening the leather cords of his leather armor, let out a quiet chuckle when he saw Kiara nod.
“Yeah. Come to think of it, he does seem more like a priest than a mage, right? He actually was a priest, originally.”
“…Is that so…”
Kiara tilted her head. Whether mage or priest, she had no frame of reference. It was her first time seeing either. Still, that gentle, composed way of speaking did stand out. Especially considering how he’d calmly soothed those savage men — the ones who had drawn their swords and threatened to kill her at every turn.
“Well, that guy’s been digging through the royal archives or something since a few days ago. Seems he’s turning up more than expected. Turns out this bond of ours might not be as permanent as we thought.”
“R-Really?”
Kiara’s eyes sparkled with wonder.
If they could sever the bond, then Ael wouldn’t need to worry anymore — about her getting hurt or sick. And then, at long last, she could go wherever she wanted, just like she’d always wished.
‘Ah…’
Suddenly, a realization dawned on her.
Before, what had shackled her was the witch’s curse. But now that the curse was gone, it wasn’t a spell binding her — it was Ael. Or more precisely, the bond with him.
She was just starting to feel a flicker of resentment toward him when another thought struck her.
‘…If I feel like this, then Ael must feel it even more strongly.’
Unlike her, who had been trapped here all this time, he was someone who had been free to move wherever he pleased. If anything, she was probably more of a shackle to him than the other way around. Only then did his cursing from earlier begin to make sense to her.
Feeling a sudden pang of guilt, Kiara turned her head away from Ael, whom she’d been watching all this time.
But he was too preoccupied with untying the leather cords of his armor to notice. Fingers fumbling with a particularly tight knot, he continued speaking.
“That guy’s the smartest among my subordinates. Actually, I think you two might get along. I’ll introduce you lat—wait, what’s wrong?”
He frowned, finally sensing something off. But Kiara, unable to bring herself to admit what she’d been thinking, forced a smile and shifted the subject.
“N-No, it’s nothing. The cords aren’t coming loose? Want me to help?”
Ael looked at her for a moment, then shook his head and turned back to the cords.
“…No. It’s fine.”
He said it was fine, but his fingers had been sluggishly pulling at the knot for a while now. Kiara tilted her head, watching him.
‘Now that I think about it, his movements do seem a little stiff…’
It made sense, she supposed. It was the side of his torso — tying it up was one thing, but untying it alone would be tricky. Convincing herself, Kiara scooted a little closer and offered again.
“Don’t be stubborn. Let me do it. If you keep tugging at it like that, it’ll just get tighter.”
“Ah, no, really, It’s—ugh, damn thing.”
Kiara scooted in close to his side and began tugging at the knot to undo it. Ael, who had been shaking his head, insisting it was fine, finally let out a curse, startling Kiara so much that her eyes widened as she looked at him.
“D-Did you… just curse at me?”
Kiara’s wide, crimson eyes drooped pitifully at the corners. Ael had been speaking gruffly just moments ago, but seeing her face like that had him suddenly stammering.
“Huh? N-No, I mean… I said I was fine, right? I wasn’t cursing at y-you, not at all…”
He tried to explain himself, his ears turning red, but it didn’t help much.
“…That’s so mean…”
In the end, Kiara lowered her head, as if deeply hurt, and murmured to herself. Her voice trembled with what sounded suspiciously like tears.
“I knew it… I’m just a burden to you, Ael… I’m sorry…”
“N-No! You’re not a burden, not at all!”
Wondering if she was crying, Ael anxiously tried to read her expression, but she kept her head down, too dejected for him to see her face.
Her voice now wavered as she continued.
“The truth is, I’ve been feeling like I’m nothing but a weight on you… I may be your soulmate, but I’m useless… Even last time, and now again, you haven’t been able to rest because of me…”
“No, seriously, that’s not it! What I meant was, the thing I cursed about had nothing to do with you. I-I mean, if anything, having you around makes things better. It’s, um… I sleep a lot better, actually…”
“…Really?”
Kiara responded with a slightly intrigued look. Feeling relieved, Ael nodded repeatedly and began talking rapidly.
“Y-Yeah, that’s right. It’s not like I can’t sleep or anything, but strangely, I sleep better when I’m next to you. Maybe that’s why, even after sleeping as much as I did yesterday, I’m still fine today.”
“You look kind of tired today, though…”
“N-No! It’s not tiredness…”
Ael hesitated as if unsure what to say next. Not long after, he sighed as if giving up.
“…Can’t be helped. Then could you just undo the knot for me?”
“Sure!”
Before he finished speaking, Kiara replied brightly, and Ael looked at her, slightly bewildered. Her voice carried none of the earlier sadness or tears.
“…You weren’t crying?”
“Why would I cry?”
“Because I cursed at you…”
“Oh, swearing? I’ve heard way worse on the street. Damn, shxt, and stuff like that.”
Kiara said casually, pressing close against Ael’s side as she began untying the cords.
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