The Red Witch - Chapter 20
But Raelin, upon seeing that, only turned even paler and cried out louder.
“L-Lady Kiara! P-Please let go! I-I’ll be fine…!”
The silence that had felt like it belonged to just Kiara and Ael was shattered by Raelin’s voice. Thanks to that, Ael’s nerves, which were already on edge, snapped taut.
Maybe he should just cut them both down.
Unaware that Ael was actually debating whether or not to do just that, Kiara turned her body slightly toward Madam Raelin.
“I-I’m okay… ah!”
A small cry escaped her lips.
Trying to reassure the other woman, Kiara had turned her body — and in doing so, her hand was cut by the blade, honed to an unnaturally sharp edge. Even after being cut, she didn’t release her grip, and soon drops of blood welled from her palm.
Ael’s expression turned even more severe.
“…Let go.”
“I-I said I can’t!”
“You’re bleeding. Let go.”
“Bleed… bleeding?”
Kiara glanced down in surprise, staring at her hand. She was stunned for a moment as she saw the blood, but then her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, almost triumphantly.
“Blood! Blood!”
“Yes, blood.”
“No, I mean, it’s a witch’s blood!”
She suddenly recalled the villagers back in the forest — how they would throw stones at her from a distance, and how they’d all flee in terror the moment she bled, as if her blood itself were cursed.
‘A witch’s blood will curse you just by touching it. Run away. It’s filthy, cursed blood. Everyone around her ends up dead!’
Sure enough, even Raelin flinched and stepped back. Only then did Kiara, startled, finally let go of the blade she’d been holding.
“C-curse! I—I’ll curse you! With this blood!”
Kiara raised her blood-covered hand. Truthfully, she had no idea what a curse even entailed, but she tried to bluff with as much bravado as she could muster. Still, she was scared, and her outstretched hand trembled visibly.
Ael let out a dry laugh.
“Hah.”
He had assumed she was simply afraid of the blood, but to think she’d try to wield it as a weapon instead.
Should he find this pitiful… or endearing?
“You’re not scared? I-I said I’m going to curse you!”
She tried shouting with all her might, but her voice quivered.
Why isn’t he afraid? Isn’t he scared of curses? What should I do? This is the only weapon I have…
“You don’t know, do you?”
“Ah!”
Ael grabbed Kiara’s wrist and pulled her straight into his arms. In an instant, she was trapped in his embrace. Kiara struggled with all her strength, but Ael was far too strong for her to break free. Holding her tightly, he leaned down and whispered softly into her ear.
“Something about the last drop of blood and the first drop, right? What do you think that means?”
Kiara, who had no idea what it meant, glanced at Raelin as if pleading for help. But Raelin had retreated far away, still fearful of Kiara’s blood. Seeing her pitiful expression, Ael offered an explanation in her stead.
“A witch can’t do anything to a Grandilgale. Especially the Red Witch.”
“…What?”
“It was one of the terms of the contract between the first Grandilgale Emperor and the Red Witch.”
A contract? What was that supposed to mean? Kiara flinched and turned to look at him. His expression, visible just over her shoulder, was calm — no, almost amused.
His eyes clearly crinkled in a smile as he watched her confused expression.
“A witch’s blood doesn’t do much to another witch’s blood.”
“W-witch’s blood…?”
“I’ve got it too, you see. That so-called witch’s blood.”
The more he spoke, the more cryptic it became. Just a moment ago, he’d called himself a Grandilgale, and now he was saying he had witch’s blood? What was that supposed to mean?
As Kiara stood there dumbfounded, Ael released her and muttered quietly:
“…A soulmate, huh.”
Soulmate? As in what Raelin always used to talk about? While Kiara stood there in confusion, a drop of blood trickled from her dangling hand, and Ael clicked his tongue.
“I really can’t kill you now.”
Ael supported her hand in his, scowling slightly as he added the words more to himself than anyone else. At that moment, Kiara’s gaze drifted down to his hand — more precisely, to the wound on it.
“A-Ael, your hand… ah.”
Startled, Kiara stammered, but Ael quickly covered her mouth with his hand. As she squirmed for a moment, he leaned close and whispered in her ear:
“Be quiet. It’s because of you.”
Because of me? What does that mean? Wasn’t I the one who got cut by his sword? Kiara glared at him in indignation. Then Ael let out a soft chuckle, showing her the wound on his hand again and whispering:
“The Red Witch’s soulmate receives the exact same wound she does.”
Only then did Kiara quiet down and carefully examine Ael’s hand.
A wound, as if cut by the same sharp blade.
