It was a bit strange. While Jiwoo needed time to understand what he was saying, Callan seemed to understand almost everything Jiwoo said, even when she spoke in Korean.

“But you do understand what I’m saying?”

Callan seemed to think for a moment before nodding.

“How do you understand?”

His hand pointed to his long ears.

“You understand my words through those ears? The languages are different…”

Callan shook his head, then after a moment of thinking, he placed his large hand on his chest. Next, he pointed to the center of Jiwoo’s body.

“Heart?”

It was a surprising word.

“You can tell that from the sound of my heart?”

Callan nodded while gently touching Jiwoo’s moist eyes again. His large fingers seemed to convey more than just wiping away tears, he wanted to convey some information slowly.

As Jiwoo blinked, he gently touched her eyelids. When she breathed, he wiped her lips and nose. Jiwoo quietly observed his actions, realizing that his long ears responded to each of her small movements.

By now, Jiwoo seemed to understand.

With each blink of her eyelids, each sigh she took, whenever her heart surged or any reaction occurred in her body, he could sense it all. The sensitive ears, keen eyes, and high observational skills were entirely focused on her.

“Can all the children of Ellandos do this?”

Callan shook his head.

Then he pointed to himself and gestured toward three other men who had also gotten up. Lanceil, Helka, and Tevon, each with their ears pricked up, were observing attentively.

“Seo Jiwoo.”

The tears which she had only just held back, welled up again.

The others couldn’t do it. They couldn’t understand other humans. Only her. Only Jiwoo. What could that statement mean in this place, in this situation?

It meant that only those who communicated with her during the long night could feel and understand Jiwoo’s reactions.

In a world where it seemed like she had nothing on her side, Jiwoo thought she was alone. However, they could understand what she wanted to say, and what she was feeling.

Jiwoo sobbed in Callan’s arms.

“I’m scared.”

“Yes.”

Callan hugged her and gently spoke.

“I know.”

In really simple words that Jiwoo could understand.

“I know, we all know. It’s okay.”

* * *

With a bit of tension relieved, Jiwoo dozed off during the journey. Although they hurried their movements, they did not use magic, fearing that it might overwhelm Jiwoo or cause some strange side effects. Thus, despite their urgent hearts, their movements were somewhat slow.

In the meantime, they took great care to ensure Jiwoo felt as safe as possible. They carried her, avoiding contact with tough grass or branches, and paid attention to keeping even the smallest insects away.

Whatever they said, Jiwoo listened comfortably. They weren’t trying to say anything harmful. All the gentle voices were merely an effort to reassure Jiwoo.

Therefore, they didn’t use the complex language of Caranazion when they needed to communicate with Jiwoo.

They used their own language, one with a softer and with a deeper resonance.

However, it didn’t mean they completely excluded Jiwoo from communication.

All their attention was focused on Jiwoo. Without uttering a word, Jiwoo received their care.

When she seemed a bit hungry, they offered snacks, and when she showed signs of fatigue, they stopped their journey and massaged Jiwoo’s arms and legs.

Sometimes, they even took care of things that Jiwoo herself wasn’t sure were uncomfortable or not. They seemed to have the concept that they knew more about the human named Seo Jiwoo than Jiwoo knew about herself.

However, she couldn’t completely let go of her worries. The fact that she was able to cross the continent and got relatively free from the hostility of the children of Ellandos was all because Jiwoo was Akarna.

And their proposal to marry her.

‘If I’m not an Akarna, that might not be a good thing.’

Jiwoo unconsciously looked at Callan. His green eyes met Jiwoo’s, as if he had been watching her all along.

What thoughts were on his mind?

He smiled brightly, as if to say not to worry. Taking Jiwoo from the one who had been carrying her, he hugged Jiwoo, kissed her forehead and cheek, and then hugged her tightly again.

Perhaps he himself didn’t know what he was thinking. Well, that’s probably why she liked him so much.

But Jiwoo felt reassured by his broad shoulders, and she fell asleep in his arms.

* * *

After confirming that Jiwoo had fallen asleep, they also relaxed their tense posture.

“I never expected something like this to happen.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just go home?”

Tevon spoke unexpectedly with a worried face.

“It seems too difficult for her. And it’s too dangerous outside. There are many things threatening to humans.”

“Yes. I’d like to take her with us right away, but…”

Callan licked his lower lip.

Seo Jiwoo, without Akarna’s power, was even more fragile than they had thought. She was more delicate than a regular human who would die with just a little force from them.

El Ragneil wasn’t a continent suitable for human habitation. The natural environment, not to mention even small animals, was threatening to the human body. Moreover, if it were Seo Jiwoo…

They wanted to bring her to the village immediately, protect her safely, and hide her in the deepest part of their shelter, wrapped in layers.

The other children of Ellandos would try to kill any human they saw, so they had to hide her completely.

Since she might eat something harmful, all the food had to be transferred from mouth to mouth, and she shouldn’t touch a poisonous plant by any chance, so she had to be tightly covered…

No, no, that wasn’t enough.

More, more… safer.

If she fell even a little, it would be worrying, and she could be hurt by even a small bug, so she shouldn’t fall an inch.

Wouldn’t Seo Jiwoo rely on him if he did that?

“Callan.”

Callan, who had started to be immersed in sinister thoughts, suddenly snapped out of it.

Helkainis looked at him with sharp eyes and added one more thing.

“Don’t worry. They’re not the kind to throw away a favor.”

“Oh… right.”

That remark was close to a rebuke.

Callan, who couldn’t overcome his impulsive emotions and had swung his fist at Asilion, closed his mouth at the stinging words.

“But at that time, I was annoyed too. If Callan hadn’t done that, I would have.”

“Well, that’s how it happened. Anyway, I’m reflecting on it now.”

“He had been annoyingly sticking to Seo Jiwoo, and then he suddenly started pointing fingers, saying ‘stranger.’”

“That wasn’t the meaning of it, was it?”

Lanceil frowned.

“It was a way of saying that something unusual had suddenly happened like a stranger, so he said he would find a solution.”

“No, I know, but at that moment, I was annoyed. Seo Jiwoo was shocked too. How dare anyone point fingers at her. I almost broke all their fingers.”

“That’s enough now.”

Callan shifted the topic.

“How about… teaching her to speak?”

Although they could communicate to some extent without spoken words, there were inconveniences. Especially for them, who had communicated with Seo Jiwoo for a long time, they were confident they could understand what she wanted even if she didn’t say a word.

There was one reason for considering teaching her to speak.

“Seo Jiwoo seems uneasy.”

“That’s true. She hardly speaks after all this happened.”

“Okay. Then, let me teach her to speak.”

“No, you shouldn’t do that. Have someone else do it.”

“Why?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? What if Seo Jiwoo learns to speak like you?”

Tevon got annoyed at Callan.

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