The Red Witch - Chapter 3
The man with the red eyes smirked at the confused Kiara.
For a moment, the relief of having the veil removed was forgotten, and Kiara’s shoulders stiffened in shock. Only the lemon candy she’d shoved into her mouth a moment ago kept her voice from escaping.
‘Wasn’t the king’s eyes supposed to be…deep green?’
Kiara’s eyes trembled with uncertainty locked with the man’s eyes — red exactly like her own.
This was the first pair of red eyes she had seen since arriving in Altnebra.
Red eyes… weren’t they a symbol of witches? If so, was he a witch, just like me? Are there witches among men too?
‘They’re a little different, though…’
Kiara shook her head.
Unlike her own dark, crimson eyes that Raelin had admired for their cherry-like color, the man’s eyes were a vivid, blood-red. They looked almost like fresh blood. But more than the color, what stood out was the sharpness in his gaze. Others might have called them impressive, but the way those piercing red eyes scanned her was more unnerving than anything. He was entirely cloaked in black, so the only thing Kiara could see clearly was his eyes.
‘I can’t even tell if it’s a man or a woman… Wait. With a body like that, it has to be a man…’
Kiara glanced and sized him up.
Though he was heavily armored, he was at least a full head taller than her.
Wait a second, a man?
‘So, this man is locking eyes with me…?’
In her dazed state, it felt as though Raelin’s words echoed from a distant memory: Kiara, do you know why people threw stones at the witch and drove her out of the village?
‘The red witch is said to steal the soul of any man who makes eye contact with her. So, until the curse is broken, even the guards must avoid looking into her eyes carelessly.’
No. I can’t make eye contact.
Kiara squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the panic, when a strange voice echoed in her ears.
“As the rumors say, your eyes are a deep red. Even though you’ve closed them now.”
Curious.
Kiara stared in disbelief, her mouth agape, at the man’s rueful tone.
He’s looking straight into my eyes and he’s perfectly fine?
‘If so…’
With her eyes still shut, Kiara fell deep into thought.
She thought of the cursed red witch and the one who boldly meets her gaze. The only blood capable of breaking the witch’s curse was the royal bloodline of Grandilgale.
‘…They said that the only person in all of Altnebra who carries royal blood is the king himself…’
So, this man must be my betrothed, King Blaine. Ah, well, that’s a relief.
Kiara exhaled a sigh of relief and attempted to gently open her eyes once more.
“No, no! You can’t look into the witch’s eyes!”
But before her eyelids could fully lift, something once again covered her eyes. So, the curse hasn’t been broken yet, after all.
‘…The curse can only be broken by bedding with the blood of Grandilgale.’
Kiara frowned. She couldn’t help but feel that, until the first night was over, she couldn’t speak, couldn’t see, and not even hear properly due to the thick veil. How was this any different from being a prisoner?
She sighed despite herself.
“Why the sigh? Aren’t you supposed to be such a powerful witch?”
Huh? Why can I hear him so clearly? Shouldn’t the veil…?
Kiara, startled, reached for her own face. The rough texture she felt was oddly different from the smooth fabric of her wedding dress that enveloped her entire body.
‘What is this fabric…?’
It felt like the rags she had worn before she had come to the palace, back when she was being hunted.
Shielding her eyes, she frowned.
Things were starting to unfold in a way very different from what she had imagined for her wedding.
For one, her groom wasn’t in ceremonial attire but in battle gear…
As Kiara fumbled with her face, another unfamiliar voice came from behind her.
“We were told not to take off the veil!”
“But it’s already off, isn’t it?”
The red-eyed man responded with a tone that carried a hint of playfulness. He added, almost mischievously:
“Besides, it’d be a little awkward to ask you to put it back on. Not when it’s all covered in blood now.”
“Ah, seriously, Captain. Please, have some consideration for the situation here. By the way, the eyes… they were covered, but… is just covering the eyes enough?”
The Captain? Not the king?
As Kiara shook her head, she heard a distant shout.
– A voice that she shouldn’t even hear.
The so-called Captain, after hearing the response, began to grumble.
“What are you so afraid of? To wrap up such a small woman, unable to speak or see, and forcefully marry her off like this…”
“But… there’s a curse, isn’t there?”
“A curse?”
The Captain, sounding confused, let out a small snicker before continuing in a mocking tone.
“Ah, that song about the first drop of blood and the last drop of blood, right? Such a troublesome thing. A witch like that? Just kill her.”
Kill… me?
