Chapter 99
The next day, Raylenne and Aiden met again in the drawing room. Raylenne watched Aiden nervously, but his face looked as composed as usual. She thought he might feel at least a little awkward about what had happened the previous night. Could it be that he had actually forgotten?
Unable to suppress her curiosity, Raylenne cautiously asked, “Aiden, do you remember anything from last night?”
“Last night?” Aiden looked thoughtful. If he remembered even a little, he would surely blush. Although he’d become bolder recently, he was still rather shy. Raylenne watched him closely, waiting for any subtle change in his expression.
“I remember coming back to my room,” Aiden said after a pause.
“And after that?” Raylenne prompted.
“…I don’t remember,” he confessed.
So he really doesn’t remember, Raylenne thought, touching her forehead. ‘Maybe it’s for the best…’ Thinking back to the events of last night made her feel embarrassed, her earlobes turning a faint pink.
Aiden frowned slightly, clearly struggling to recall. “Did I do something inappropriate?”
“No,” Raylenne quickly reassured him.
Aiden immediately bowed his head. “I apologize. Even if I didn’t do anything wrong, it’s certainly my fault for drinking to the point of losing my senses.”
Fearing that Aiden might remember, Raylenne hurriedly changed the subject. “Let’s not dwell on last night. We should get started with the training.”
The reason they were meeting today was to work on Aiden’s ability to control his powers. Raylenne reminded him of this, and Aiden relaxed slightly, the frown disappearing from his face.
Clearing her throat, Raylenne spoke calmly. “First, I want to understand your current state more precisely.”
Though Aiden had briefly mentioned the state of his awakened powers, Raylenne wanted more detailed information to better assist him. If she knew more, she could be more helpful.
Aiden looked down in thought for a moment before meeting her gaze. “To put it simply, it’s like there’s a wild beast inside me—a ferocious, powerful beast.”
“A wild beast…”
“I’m barely managing to keep its neck held down. But if I let go for even a moment, it feels like it would rampage and cause chaos outside.”
Raylenne found it hard to believe that Aiden was controlling such a wild force, given his outward calm and stable demeanor. She had worried that he might lose control during the party, but nothing had happened.
“Keeping the beast subdued takes a lot of energy. But I constantly stay vigilant because if the raging power escapes even for a moment, it could cause great harm to those around me,” Aiden explained.
His extraordinary mental fortitude was evident. Despite the constant effort it took to control his power, he never showed it on the surface. Perhaps this strength came from his harsh life experiences, whether on the battlefield or at the Bedeusian estate, where he could never afford to show weakness.
“But when I’m with you, Raylenne, the beast inside me becomes much more docile,” Aiden admitted, his voice softening as if recalling a comforting thought. “Being close to you calms me. The effect is even stronger when we’re in physical contact.”
Raylenne nodded in understanding. “Then we need to make sure you learn to control your power quickly. We don’t have much time here.”
Aiden had only two months to train with her. “Yes,” he agreed. “As you said, I’ll do everything I can to learn to control my power within these two months. I don’t want anyone else to have to calm me.”
Raylenne silently agreed with his sentiment. She didn’t want anyone else taking her place in helping Aiden. However, she didn’t want to reveal this possessiveness to him, finding it both embarrassing and uncomfortable.
Pretending to be unaffected, Raylenne asked, “How do you plan to train?”
“The method is simple,” Aiden replied. “I’ll release my power and then practice stopping it.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Raylenne was concerned, comparing it to repeatedly starting a fire only to put it out again. What if they couldn’t extinguish it?
But Aiden remained calm despite her worried expression. “That’s why I need you to be there, in case I can’t control it,” he said.
“In case you can’t…?” Raylenne prompted.
“Please hold me tight,” Aiden said.
Hold him tight? Raylenne blinked in surprise.
“You’ve done it before, haven’t you? When you calmed me down after I almost attacked Duke Ergen.”
True, she had calmed Aiden by holding him back then. Could something so simple really work? Raylenne felt both embarrassed and skeptical.
Sensing her hesitation, Aiden added, “It’s just to help me calm down.”
Hearing it put that way, Raylenne felt foolish for her earlier embarrassment. Hugging him wasn’t a request born out of any ulterior motive; it was purely for the sake of training.
“Okay, got it,” she agreed.
Aiden smiled faintly—a brief, but noticeable smile that Raylenne didn’t miss. She thought it would be nice if he smiled more often. As Aiden prepared to start the training, a dark aura quickly enveloped his body.
Aiden’s overwhelming power was palpable even from across the room, creating a pressure that made Raylenne feel tense. It wasn’t exactly painful, but the unfamiliar sensation was enough to make anyone feel uneasy.
Raylenne couldn’t help but think about how difficult it must be for Aiden to constantly suppress such a force. She wanted to help him gain control over the wild beast within him as soon as possible. Aiden, trying to maintain control, was breathing heavily, his closed eyelids trembling slightly.
“Ugh…” Aiden groaned, struggling visibly. Raylenne watched him anxiously, wondering if he was having difficulty controlling his power. However, his eyelids soon steadied, and his breathing began to slow.
As Aiden opened his clear eyes, Raylenne spoke cautiously, “Are you okay, Aiden?”
“It’s not easy, letting out this much power for the first time,” he replied, his voice hoarse. Even though it was just a single attempt, he looked exhausted, like someone who had sprinted a long distance. Raylenne felt helpless, wishing there was something she could do for him.
Suddenly, she remembered something the original Raylenne had said in a dream:
[If you help him just a little, your wild dog will quickly learn to control its power. He’s incredibly intelligent, as you know.]
[How should I help Aiden?]
[It’s simple. Just be a little more honest about your feelings.]
Raylenne wondered what the dream Raylenne had been thinking when she said that. What feelings was she supposed to express? She looked at Aiden.
“Be honest…?” The possessiveness she’d felt earlier came to mind. But would confessing this selfish feeling to Aiden, who was already struggling, really help him?
As Aiden seemed ready to start training again, Raylenne unconsciously grabbed his wrist. “Aiden…!”
The dark aura that had been slowly emerging from him dissipated. Aiden looked at her, slightly startled by her urgent demeanor.
“…What’s wrong?” he asked.
Raylenne, recalling the dream’s advice, decided to speak her mind honestly. Taking a deep breath, as if preparing for something significant, she began, “This might seem sudden, but there’s something I want to say…”
Aiden, focused, didn’t blink, waiting for her to continue. Raylenne felt like her heart was in her throat, but she pushed through the tension to speak.
“I actually dislike the idea of someone else helping you…” she admitted, swallowing hard. “So… I really hope you can learn to control your power while you’re here.”
Raylenne’s face flushed with embarrassment. It was the first time she had spoken so possessively to Aiden. She waited nervously for his response, but Aiden only gazed at her, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, he spoke.
“Why don’t you want another handler by my side?”
He seemed to understand, yet needed to hear it directly from her. Deciding to lay her feelings bare, Raylenne continued, “Because… I don’t like the idea of someone else holding your hand, being close to you, to control your power…”
Without needing a mirror, Raylenne knew her face must be as red as a ripe apple. In contrast, Aiden responded with a warm smile.
“Hearing you say that makes me feel like I absolutely have to succeed, no matter what,” he said, smiling more brightly than usual.
Raylenne noticed that Aiden had been smiling more often recently, and while she was glad to see his happier side, it also caused her heart to race uncontrollably every time. In this way, his smile felt almost dangerously intoxicating to her.
She sighed inwardly.
‘It seems the problem lies with me.’
