Chapter 49
Right now, Kiara was filled with discontent for some inexplicable reason. No, honestly, she knew why. It was because Ael hadn’t held her yet. She’d been itching to be held since a while ago. Thinking about that, Kiara soon nodded to herself.
‘Because it’s warm…’
She was tired of the cold.
From the moment she opened her eyes in the Black Forest, to the cave she hid in to avoid people, to this very room in the northern castle tower where she’d stayed abandoned for a while — her memories in Altnebra were all filled with cold. The only warmth she’d felt was thanks to Raelin. Raelin had come and made this room at least a livable place.
‘…Ah.’
Suddenly recalling something, Kiara glanced at the candelabra. The last of the three candles was now less than half burnt.
The time Raelin said she would come again was approaching.
Would Raelin really come? And if she did, how would Ael react? Would he get angry? Draw his sword, threatening to cut her throat again? Or would he just chase her away?
‘What do I do?’
Kiara paused in the middle of retying the leather cord of her dress and bit her thumb. She had a bad feeling that something would go wrong if Ael and Raelin ended up facing each other. After he’d sent her out of the room that day, Ael hadn’t mentioned Raelin again, but maybe that had just been her own assumption?
Then again, it wasn’t a completely baseless worry.
‘Raelin… gets scared.’
Kiara glanced back at the candlestick.
The moment their agreed signal was heard, she had stepped outside, only to find Raelin already gone. The only things left were the food and candles Raelin had brought. Why else would she have done that? Probably because she was afraid of Ael.
Just in case, it would be best to prevent the two from crossing paths.
‘If Raelin comes, I’ll do whatever it takes to distract Ael.’
Kiara nodded to herself. That was probably the best plan. As long as no one stepped outside, Raelin would likely just leave the items and go, like she had yesterday.
Right on cue, someone knocked on the door.
Knock. Tok-tok. Knock… The distinct rhythm of their signal — it was Raelin.
But before Kiara could react, Ael, ever sensitive to his surroundings, noticed first.
“What’s that sound?”
He stood up from where he had been sitting on the bed, looking puzzled, and a panicked Kiara hurriedly called out to him.
“A-Ael!”
Thankfully, she managed to stop him before he reached the door. But once she did, she realized she had nothing to say to explain herself.
While Kiara hesitated in silence, Raelin knocked again. Knock. Tok-tok. Knock. Knock. Tok-tok.
The rhythmical tapping made Ael furrow his brow sharply.
“What is that sound?”
Turning back, he took a step toward the door. This time, it was clear that no matter what Kiara said, he wasn’t going to stop.
Panicking, she shifted on her feet and, as if making up her mind, stepped in front of him to block his path.
“…What are you doing?”
Ael raised a brow at her sudden move. Kiara’s heart pounded furiously as their eyes met.
No choice. If words won’t work…
Ael stared at her silently, then let out a sigh.
“Come on, just let me check ou—”
Kiara’s lips pressed gently against his.
His hand, still half-raised to point at the door, froze midair as if he had turned to stone. This was the first time Kiara had ever kissed him. No matter how composed Ael might usually be, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.
And she, too, stood frozen in place.
‘W-What do I do now…’
She had charged forward with the single goal of distracting Ael, but she hadn’t thought even a step beyond that.
And so the two of them stayed frozen, lips pressed together, unmoving and uncertain of what to do next.
Knock. Knock. Tok-tok.
All the while, the knocking outside continued. Kiara began to grow increasingly flustered. Yesterday, Raelin had knocked just once or twice before leaving, but today… why was she being so persistent?
Finally, Ael moved, placing his hands on Kiara’s shoulders as if to gently push her away.
‘No, don’t!’
Panicking, Kiara hesitated then shyly slipped her tongue out to trace along his closed lips. He faltered. The hands that had been preparing to push her back froze.
‘Did… did that stop him?’
Just as Kiara let herself feel a small moment of relief, Ael’s mouth opened, only for him to suddenly draw her tongue in with his own.
“Hm, mmph.”
Though she had kissed him first, the second Ael took the lead, Kiara flinched in surprise and instinctively tried to pull away. But before she could escape, Ael pulled her in close, locking her in place.
And so, with no room to fight back, Kiara could only go along with what was happening.
Truthfully, Ael’s tongue, boldly slipping in and meticulously exploring, was leaving her far too overwhelmed to think straight.
To the point where the knocking outside was long forgotten.
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