Free Web NovelChapter 44: Chapter 44: Token of Affection
Chapter 44: Token of Affection
—ARIA—
As soon as Aelith fastened the bracelet around my wrist, the crystal embedded within it caught the light and shimmered faintly, as though acknowledging its new wearer.
The glow began as a subtle pulse before settling steadily beneath my skin, like an awareness that had not been there before. It did not feel painful or invasive, but it was noticeable enough that I instinctively flexed my fingers once, as if testing whether something about my body had changed.
Aelith studied it for a moment until his gaze finally softened in satisfaction.
"Good," he murmured softly. "It accepted you."
I frowned slightly at that wording.
"...It accepted me?" I repeated.
"Yes," he answered simply, as though this was the most natural explanation in the world. "It is not a passive object. It recognizes intent, compatibility, and... bond resonance."
That last word made me pause.
"Bond?" I asked slowly.
Aelith did not elaborate immediately. Instead, he only gave a faint smile, as if deciding that overexplaining would only confuse me further.
Before I could press him again, he suddenly lifted my hand.
I stiffened instinctively.
"W-what–"
I did not get to finish.
He lowered his head and pressed a light kiss against the back of my hand.
My thoughts stopped completely.
"This seals the bond," he said calmly, releasing my hand as if nothing unusual had just happened. "It stabilizes the connection."
My face felt hot for no logical reason.
"...You could have warned me," I muttered.
"I did not think this required preparation since this is for your healing procedures," he replied honestly.
He guided my other hand gently toward the bracelet again, redirecting the focus away from my internal confusion.
"Considering you are someone who requires protection," he continued, tone still composed, "whenever you are in distress or danger, you may do this."
"Do what?" I asked cautiously.
Aelith did not answer. Instead, he lightly pressed my fingers against the bracelet himself.
The moment I did, the crystal reacted instantly.
A faint spark of light flickered across its surface, brighter than before, like a heartbeat suddenly becoming aware of itself.
At the same time, the air outside the window shifted.
It was subtle at first, like the room had taken a breath.
Then I turned my head.
The air beyond the glass changed. fгeewebnovёl.com
"...Huh?" I whispered.
And then I saw it vines that were not there before.
Thin green tendrils began creeping inward from the edges of the window frame, curling along the stone as though the wall itself had invited them in. They did not force their way through or break anything. Instead, they moved with unnerving gentleness, like responding to a call only it could hear.
I took a small step back without realizing it.
The vines continued growing, but instead of spreading wildly, they stopped once they had entered the room and began blooming.
Flowers opened one after another, soft petals unfolding in rhythm, as if the room itself was exhaling color.
For a moment, I could not speak.
It was beautiful.
And so magical.
Aelith released my hand and walked toward the window as if this was an everyday occurrence. He reached out and plucked one of the flowers with ease before turning back toward me.
The faint smile on his face made him look even more majestic.
"Do not forget," he said. "My power is no longer only mine. It is yours now."
I stared at him.
"...That sounds like a very dangerous thing to say so casually."
"It is only dangerous if you misuse it," he replied.
"That does not reassure me at all."
Aelith hummed softly, amused.
He turned the flower between his fingers.
"If you are in danger," he said more quietly, "I will know. And I will come."
This time, there was no humor in his voice. No teasing, only absolute and unshaken certainty.
Then, as though the conversation had naturally concluded, he picked up his medical case again and adjusted it over his shoulder. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
"I hope to see you again in ten days," he added. "There is something important I must tell you then."
That made me blink.
"Wait," I said quickly. "You can just tell me now."
But Aelith simply paused at the doorway and glanced back slightly, just enough for me to see part of his expression.
"Some things," he said, voice softer than before, "only become clear when given time to settle."
I frowned slightly at that.
"...That sounds ominous."
"It is not meant to be," he replied.
And then he left.
The door closed gently behind him.
I stood there for a long moment, still holding the flower he had placed in my hand without me noticing when exactly that had happened.
My fingers tightened slightly around it.
"...That man is...too much of a romantic." I muttered.
My gaze drifted toward the window again. The vines had already stopped moving completely, frozen in place as though they had never been alive at all. Only the flowers remained, glowing faintly in the fading light, too perfect to feel real.
I exhaled slowly.
Then I looked down at the bracelet on my wrist.
"...Well," I murmured after a moment, my voice softer this time. "This world may not be that bad after all."
I did not realize I had smiled until the expression settled naturally on my face, as I continued to stare at the vines along the window.
Just then, the door burst open.
The fragile calm shattered instantly.
"MY LADY!"
Ren stormed in with such force that the hinges groaned faintly, his usual controlled composure replaced entirely by urgency. His breathing was slightly uneven, as though he had been moving quickly through the corridors, and his eyes immediately locked onto me with focus, scanning my entire body in a single sweep.
Then his gaze landed on the scene inside the room.
The vines curling near the window.
The flowers glowing faintly in the fading light.
And the fact that I am wearing a bracelet on my wrist.
His expression changed immediately.
"My lady... why would you accept a token of affection from a stranger..." he said weakly as though exhaustion had finally caught up to him after enduring too many of my decisions in too short a time.
I looked down at the bracelet again and let out a small, awkward laugh.
"This..." I lifted my wrist slightly. "Is a token of affection?"
Ren did not answer immediately.
Instead, he stared at me for a long moment, as if trying to determine whether I was genuinely unaware or simply pretending not to understand the situation for his sanity’s sake.
Then he exhaled slowly, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"My lady," he said at last, in a tone that suggested he was choosing every word with great care, "a bracelet created through a binding ritual, activated through physical contact, empowered by a personal vow, and accompanied by an exchange of magic is not typically given in the context of simple medical treatment."
I blinked.
"It means," he said slowly, "that he has established a connection to you that allows him to sense your state and intervene without being present."
I stared at him.
"...So basically what he said."
Ren’s expression tightened.
"It is not ’basically what he said,’" he replied. "It is a form of magical binding that is not casually given."
I tilted my head innocently.
"Is it dangerous?" I asked.
Ren sighed to calm himself before muttering.
"I will kill that elf when I see him."
