Chapter 72
And truth be told, Kiara wasn’t entirely wrong.
Compared to Ael, who came and went as he pleased — from the castle grounds to the forest beyond — she was limited to pacing the palace hallways at best. No wonder she was upset.
His thoughts drifted to what Maeve had said earlier that day:
‘Isn’t it about time you moved into the royal palace with the witch? Surely it’s inconvenient living in this dark, crumbling tower.’
She’d said it just as Ael was returning to the tower.
He’d only laughed, saying he was fine. He’d gotten by on muddy battlefields just fine, after all.
But Maeve had pressed on:
‘It’s not just about you, Captain. Don’t you feel bad for the witch? I heard she’s been locked up in this tower all this time, avoiding people’s eyes. I’m sure she’d appreciate it if you both relocated to the palace.’
‘The way you’re talking, it’s like Kiara’s my wife.’
‘You’re closer than most married couples, I’d say. Besides, don’t you two need to act as one anyway? In fact, if you ask me, it’s like the witch managed to leash a wild lion who didn’t even know the meaning of self-preservation. Quite the feat, don’t you think?’
Maeve had laughed to herself for a good while, clearly amused by her own metaphor, but Ael hadn’t found it funny in the least.
The part about a leash struck a nerve — his expression had gone stone cold.
He’d already been worrying whether he’d somehow fallen under the infamous witch’s enchantments, piece by piece.
And with his brother still lying low, it was the perfect moment for an assassination attempt, if any had been planned.
Perhaps noticing the shift in Ael’s mood, Maeve had quickly wrapped up the conversation.
‘Anyway, I get what you’re worried about, Captain, but honestly, there’s probably no safer place for the witch to stay than the royal palace. Whether it’s because of that damned protective spell — or thanks to it, who knows.’
It was rare for Maeve to curse, let alone with such irritation etched all over his face.
Lately, he’d been researching the witch more seriously and had grumbled nonstop about how all the materials he needed were hoarded in the royal library.
Not that it helped — apparently no one could enter the place because of some powerful enchantment. No one, including their entire Order.
And that was the problem. Why the library, of all places?
“It’s not ‘just the library.’ The problem is that it is the library.”
Half-sprawled on the bed in his usual way, Ael let out a sigh and muttered to himself. Though he’d been sharp and angry a moment ago, his voice was calmer now, drained of its earlier fury.
“It’s the only place in all of Altnebra where we… where the Golden Lion Order, the occupying force aren’t allowed entry. The royal library and…”
“…the king’s bedchamber.”
Kiara cut in automatically, finishing his sentence. She remembered Laine’s grumbling back in the library and had blurted it out before she could stop herself.
Ael, still lying on the bed with his fingers laced behind his head, lifted his eyes toward her. His expression said, So you already knew?
His anger seemed to have passed, but Kiara still looked annoyed as she fired off the next question.
“What kind of spell could be cast on a library that even knights can’t go in?”
“I don’t know, and I doubt the court officials know either. They just say anyone who enters without permission… meets a terrible fate.”
“Then what about the knights…?”
“Especially when we’re already short on manpower, we can’t afford to sacrifice knights without knowing what might happen.”
Ael answered casually, staring up at the ceiling. Only then did Kiara’s tense energy soften, and she wore a somewhat stunned expression.
“S-So… no one really knows what will happen?”
What exactly could occur? Would all the books on the shelves suddenly fly at intruders?
Thinking of the heavy tome that almost hit her head earlier, maybe it would be a serious threat.
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
“They say it’s a spell cast during the early Emperor’s era, so it must be hundreds of years old by now. Hasn’t a single curious soul ever tried to check it out all this time?”
“Like I said before, the people of Altnebra are stubborn.”
“There’s stubborn, and then there’s stubborn. That’s not stubborn so much as… well…”
Kiara furrowed her brow, struggling to find the right word, and after a moment, finally spoke again.
“…frigid?”
“Rigid.”
Ael corrected her gently, letting out a quiet chuckle. Sometimes when she mixed up words like that, he found it impossibly endearing.
It was a little ridiculous when she said things like she wanted to eat him or that he made her drool, though.
Hearing his soft laugh, Kiara’s face flushed deeply. Damn it, this way there’s no point in being angry.
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