Chapter 48
Strange. She’d shared a bed with Ael several times before, but never had her body reacted like this just from looking at him. Why now? Could this also be because of that “soulmate” thing?
As she stood there frozen, Ael frowned at her.
“Besides, you’re hurt too. I’m not into the whole forcing-myself-on-an-injured-woman thing.”
“Th-that’s not…”
His dead-serious tone made her heart race with sudden urgency. Flustered, Kiara carefully stammered out a question.
“W-well, it does feel a bit strange, but… I’m not really that hurt… Are you, Ael? Are you in pain?”
“Hm. Maybe it’s thanks to the shared link or whatever, but it’s not too bad. When you got cut with the sword last time and now too, it didn’t really hurt that much.”
“Oh…”
Thank goodness.
Kiara murmured softly and smiled. It was the kind of smile that made it seem like she didn’t care at all about her own pain, as long as Ael wasn’t suffering.
Seeing it, Ael let out a breathless, helpless chuckle.
‘…This witch…’
What are you? What kind of person keeps worrying about me like this?
This tiny, fragile thing who can barely speak properly, who blurts out nonsense, who’s cursed and hated by everyone… Compared to someone like her, life was a thousand times easier for someone like him. And yet, she worried for him.
The only person who’s ever truly worried about me.
Suddenly, Ael felt something massive crash down inside his chest.
‘What…was that?’
His brows furrowed deeply as he tilted his head in confusion. Was this some aftereffect from being hit in the gut earlier? Could it be that his organs were ruptured after all?
He had no idea what it was. But honestly, it felt like at least one or two vital systems had completely failed. The impact was far worse than the blow to his side, the lingering refusing to fade.
‘Should I ask Maeve for a healing spell or something…? Wait, can that guy even treat internal injuries? I mean, he was a priest, sure, but that kind of magic is usually for high-ranking clerics…’
Damn it, if I had known, I should’ve kept at least one or two clerics alive. But they all happened to be gathered in the chapel…
At that moment, a scene from the chapel flashed through Ael’s mind, bringing back a fact he had momentarily forgotten.
‘That witch and the king’s… marriage.’
Thump.
His heart suddenly pounded violently. Realizing what was wrong, Ael made a troubled face.
Ah, damn it. My heart’s broken.
Why the heart of all things? He clicked his tongue regretfully at himself.
‘If it were just my torso, I could still defend myself even if one or two limbs were crushed…’
But how do you prepare for a shock that starts inside the body like this?
Running through his condition and possible countermeasures in his mind out of habit, he shook his head.
There was no choice but to endure it helplessly.
If this were a real battle, he would already be dead. Since it was his heart that’s been targeted, his life is basically held hostage now.
“Damn it…”
Cursing under his breath, Ael gave a bitter smile. He had survived countless near-death experiences since he was thirteen, fighting tooth and nail — yet here he was, beaten by a tiny witch.
“Is this really a trap that my brother set up…?”
“A trap? What trap?”
Muttering his dissatisfaction, Ael’s words caught Kiara’s attention, and she widened her eyes in innocent curiosity. She looked at him expectantly.
“It’s something like that.”
“You never explain it properly.”
After a long pause, Ael finally answered, and Kiara grumbled in dissatisfaction.
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