Chapter 51
Kiara simply blinked, unable to come up with a response. Ael went on indifferently, as if stating something self-evident.
“It’s wartime. Disobeying orders means immediate execution, of course.”
“…P-please don’t do that. I-it was because I said I wanted to eat it…”
Kiara finally snapped out of it, startled by the brutal term immediate execution, and rushed to defend Raelin. All over something as trivial as a fig… No, she wasn’t even sure if it was a fig, but just because Raelin had tried to feed it to her, she might end up being killed? The thought alone made Kiara tremble.
Frightened out of her wits, she nervously looked up at Ael. His crimson eyes gleamed with such a chilling light that it seemed like he could cut down anyone without hesitation. The moment their gazes met, Kiara hastily turned away.
Scary.
She squeezed her eyes shut. But she couldn’t just let this go.
Even if she always said, “If it seems hopeless, it’s better to give up early,” the truth was, she always fought until the very end before giving up. Even while hiding from terrifying beasts, she would search for sharp branches to use as weapons. Even when villagers threw stones at her, she memorized the words they shouted as she ran.
‘Don’t give up before you even try.’
Trying to calm her trembling body, Kiara took a deep breath and repeated the thought to herself.
The sticks she had picked up to fight off beasts had ended up fueling a campfire to keep her warm.
The screams of the villagers she had committed to memory helped her learn the language of this land.
If things go truly wrong later, she could always run then.
With her resolve hardened, she carefully opened her mouth.
“Ael… please…”
Kiara pleaded earnestly, her voice trembling. Ael gazed at her quietly. Perhaps because she had finally mustered some courage, the softness in his eyes made Kiara’s trembling begin to subside.
Finally, when she seemed to calm down a bit, Ael spoke again.
“I’ve forgiven that matter. Once I say something with my own mouth, I don’t easily take it back.”
“Th-then…”
Filled with hope, Kiara grasped Ael’s arm. As she flushed with sudden happiness, Ael looked at her again, then removed her hand from his arm and spoke dryly.
“Instead of executing her, I forbade her from associating with witches. That’s the order from the captain of the Golden Lion Knights, who oversees the temporary occupation of Altnebra.”
His face hardened into an expressionless mask as he called her a “witch,” and Kiara shivered again. But the thought of being separated from Raelin was unthinkable. Since waking in the Black Forest, Raelin was the only person Kiara could lean on.
Taking a deep breath, she made a request, her tone as firm as she could muster:
“Please forgive Raelin.”
Her trembling voice had settled into calm determination. At last, a hint of interest appeared on Ael’s face. Yet his tone remained resolute as he spoke again.
“This is an official matter. Just because you’re my soulmate doesn’t mean I’ll grant personal requests.”
“It’s not a personal request.”
Kiara opened her mouth again. Though Ael’s cold tone made her a little afraid, she found courage simply because he hadn’t immediately rejected her.
Yes, not yet. It’s not time to give up. She hadn’t even properly confronted this yet.
“As the captain said, the only one who can take care of me is Raelin, the head maid.”
“Someone else can be assigned.”
Though he contradicted her, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Ael’s mouth. Kiara lifted her chin firmly, her voice no longer faltering or trembling but steady.
“If that was the case, you should have assigned someone earlier. Yesterday, the only one who bothered to prepare my meals was the head maid.”
Kiara protested calmly. Only then did Ael’s brows furrow. He had hurriedly asked the steward to take care of her meals before leaving yesterday. Whether he had forgotten or pretended to forget, he didn’t know.
“…Not the steward?”
Instead of answering, Kiara shook her head, and Ael let out a bitter laugh.
The people of Altnebra were proud, and they strongly resented the knights who had suddenly appeared and occupied their land. The palace staff who had long served the Altnebra royal family needed no further explanation.
“I should have driven them all out long ago.”
Ael muttered in a low voice, weighed down by his thoughts. He wanted at least to restore discipline, but it was not the time. The occupation had already unsettled the people, and with the unusually long eclipse, the security situation was worsening.
Lost in thought, he heard Kiara’s cautious voice.
“The captain is very busy, so it might be difficult for him to personally worry about my well-being. I don’t know the exact situation, but in the middle of such chaos, there’s no need to create unnecessary problems.”
Though Ael’s displeased expression made her shrink back a little, Kiara took a deep breath once more and spoke clearly and precisely.
“I, Kiara, the Red Witch, officially request of the captain: please send Raelin Verhenan, the head maid, back to my side.”
After finishing, Kiara bowed her head, not in a way that was desperate or pitiful, but dignified and graceful, just as the servants had admired her.
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