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chapter 33
“Wow…”
As soon as I stepped down, before me stretched a shimmering lakeside under the glow of a beautiful full moon.
I couldn’t close my mouth, awestruck at the unusually bright moonlight resting upon the lake.
Rudels glanced at me briefly, then gave a small nod toward the carriage. Silently, without a sound, the carriage slipped away into the night.
I walked slowly toward the lake, treading on slightly undergrown blades of grass.
There was nothing on the wide, open lake, so the moon floating beneath the water kept its perfect round shape, showing its face calmly.
Looking at me, Rudels asked in a passing tone:
“Iriel. You said you had something to tell me?”
At his words, I turned to look at him.
His silver hair swayed like moonlight as his blue eyes, glinting with the shadow of a wolf, stared straight at me. He smiled as he asked again:
“Can you tell me now?”
At his voice, I swallowed and looked at him.
By the tranquil lakeside, Rudels’ silver hair fluttered in the breeze. I unconsciously glanced around, worried that someone might overhear our conversation.
“Don’t worry. There’s no one around,”
he said softly, smiling at my wariness.
At his words, I forced my heavy lips to open.
“Sir Rudels… are you a magic‑bearer?”
He quietly nodded.
I was shocked to learn that a beastkin could be a magic‑bearer, and even more shocked by the way he admitted it without hesitation.
Beastkin were creatures vulnerable to magic.
If one somehow gained magic, they were supposed to die in terrible pain.
And yet here he was, perfectly fine while possessing magic?
It was as shocking as the sun rising in the west.
“Why are you telling me so calmly?”
I looked at him, my hands trembling from his bold confession.
He only shrugged.
“Well, what can I do if our household’s healer found out?”
His absurdly calm, mischievous words gave me a headache even as a witch listening.
“I–I’m still a witch, you know? The ones who’ve had the deepest grudge against beastkin!”
Beastkin and witches.
Their relationship had long stood on a point of irreconcilable opposition.
Even though God’s mediation had ended the fighting, a deep grudge impossible to fill remained between them.
It had been passed down generation after generation, for over fifty years without break.
And yet the heir of the Iphin family, who must have been raised on that very education, was showing such a nonchalant attitude toward a witch who had discovered his secret—I couldn’t understand it.
He opened his eyes wide and laughed.
“But you’re our household’s healer, aren’t you?”
“St–still! I’m a witch. Do you even realize what will happen if I spread this fact?”
He laughed out loud, hands still in his trouser pockets, and took a step closer to me.
“No. You won’t.”
He spoke with certainty, as though it were obvious.
“My eyes are accurate. You won’t tell anyone.”
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
“H…how can you be so sure?”
I stammered like someone whose mouth had gone numb.
Rudels put on an exaggeratedly obvious look.
“But Iriel, you said it yourself. You’re a healer. Healers don’t disclose their patients’ secrets.”
“You thought that alone would keep me from telling?”
I was so dumbfounded by his simple logic I couldn’t even close my mouth.
Gently pushing my jaw shut, he said:
“And you’ve kept my secret from everyone until now, haven’t you? That’s proof enough.”
He stepped back again, looking at me.
With the moon behind him, his blue eyes shone even more vividly. He blinked those gemlike eyes and smiled.
“People say witches and wizards have a strong thirst for knowledge. They say it’s to draw closer to God.”
He began, looking at me.
“In the case of witches, it’s said that to approach God in the world He created, they must reach the truth. And to reach that truth, they’re known for conducting many experiments—even if those are immoral or unethical.”
His words pricked my conscience.
No witch could escape the thirst for knowledge. It was like an unquenchable thirst that no amount of drinking could satisfy.
What witches desired was to draw closer to God and understand Him.
Even if they bore power opposite to divinity, witches strove to reach God through magic.
I, born a witch myself, didn’t even know why.
But instinctively I knew there was no escaping this thirst—even if it turned witches into monsters.
Glancing at me, subdued now, Rudels continued.
“Especially witches—their thirst for knowledge is said to be so strong it rivals the three primal desires.”
He inhaled lightly.
“Iriel. Do you want to experiment on me?”
The moment I heard that, the whole world seemed to stop.
“…What?”
Startled, I twitched at the corners of my eyes and stared at him.
He looked at me with a composed face, no emotion in his eyes.
How could he be so serene asking if I wanted to experiment on him?
He didn’t rush me but waited for my answer. I swallowed hard, looking at him waiting.
“Honestly… I am curious.”
I decided to tell the truth.
He didn’t even look surprised, just stood still, listening to me.
“But I won’t experiment on you recklessly.”
“Why not? You’re curious. A beastkin with magic would be an attractive test subject, wouldn’t he?”
Hearing him call himself a test subject made me bristle.
‘I am curious, but still! How can he call himself that?’
“I won’t. And don’t call yourself a test subject.”
When I snapped angrily at him, he looked at me like he couldn’t understand.
That made me even angrier. I stepped closer and ground out each word:
“Don’t. Call. Yourself. A. Test. Subject.”
“Why are you angry, Iriel?”
“Do I look like I’m not?”
His easygoing attitude left me utterly speechless.
“What kind of crazy person calls themselves a test subject!”
“There’s one right in front of you.”
“I said don’t!”
“Why not?”
“Why? Why?! Because calling yourself a test subject lowers your worth! Why would you call yourself that and devalue yourself?”
I pointed at his face with a trembling finger. Rudels was startled and stepped back slightly.
“If you call yourself a test subject one more time… I really won’t let it slide.”
He watched me for a few seconds and asked again:
“And if I do?”
I clenched my teeth.
“If you do it again… I’ll tell your family you’re a magic‑bearer.”
I bit my lower lip, fuming. And then regretted it immediately.
‘Even if I tell them, what then! They’ll just be shocked and try to lock me up!’
It was the wrong thing to threaten with.
Rudels just stared at me.
He didn’t say anything, but his eyes seemed to ask if I really would.
Seeing that look, my confidence plummeted, and the corners of my mouth drooped.
‘Of course I can’t. Who do I think I’m threatening?’
Watching me slump as if my shoulders would sink into the ground, Rudels parted his lips.
“That’s scary, Iriel.”
His playful tone over my empty threat made me seethe.
This must be the composure of the strong.
He saw my disbelieving eyes and shrugged.
“Really?”
“If even I know, that means other healers must know too, right?”
At his words, he laughed heartily and looked at me.
“Probably… only my parents, Rusell, Old Man Haol, and Teacher Qureil know.”
“See? All the important people already know.”
At my response, he grinned and rolled his eyes.
“But Iriel. Aren’t you curious?”
“About what?”
“Why I became a magic‑bearer.”
At that, I trembled slightly and peeked at him.
Honestly, from a witch’s perspective, Rudels was a perfect subject to research new knowledge.
It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious.
Even now, my mouth itched to ask why he had magic.
“…If I ask, will you tell me?”
“Nope. I won’t.”
Rudels said brightly, and I shook with frustration.
Then why even ask if I’m curious!
As I trembled with betrayal, he chuckled, shoulders shaking.
“But Iriel. If you’re curious about why I have magic despite being beastkin, how about we make a deal?”
I tilted my head.
“A deal?”
“Yes. A deal. One where you can experiment on me legally.”
“You… have something you want to trade with me?”
I stared at him in disbelief.
He was my employer, after all.
