Dozens of thoughts immediately went through Vaan’s mind after his discovery.
The only current known cause for a size reduction in the Heaven-Swallowing Space is if he had granted a True Name with [Name Bestowal].
However, Aeliana wasn’t an unnamed spirit like Topaz; she was already given a True Name at birth. Thus, it shouldn’t have been possible for [Name Bestowal] to activate.
‘I’ve only called her Lady Aeliana…’ Vaan recalled before his eyes suddenly flickered.
Based on his understanding, a True Name was closely tied to a being’s soul; it could even be regarded as a part of the being’s soul.
‘If the soul was damaged, is it possible to overwrite an existing True Name with a new True Name?’ Vaan pondered.
He suspected that it couldn’t just be any part of the soul either; it had to be the True Name section of the soul that was damaged or corrupted.
Only then could [Name Bestowal] be used to overwrite the True Name.
‘It seems that after [Name Bestowal] is used to overwrite the True Name, it also mended the damage on the soul? The consumption is also very little,’ Vaan guessed as his eyes flickered.
Everything made sense.
Unless Aeliana had an unbreakable will, it was hard to believe how well she adapted after surgical treatment otherwise.
After all, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if all the suffering had long driven her insane.
Nevertheless, Vaan’s thoughts only flashed for a brief moment while Aeliana mulled over his name thoughtfully.
“Van Helsing… Van Helsing…” Aeliana quietly muttered before she looked up at him. “I see. My Lord’s name is Van Helsing. Please allow me to continue addressing you as my Lord. Lord Van will also do.”
“That’s not appropriate, is it?” Vaan casually mentioned.
“No, it is very appropriate, my Lord!” Aeliana firmly asserted.
“The grace you bestowed upon me transcends every regulation and tradition of this kingdom. They can’t restrict me from offering my deepest gratitude and respect to you, my Lord. You pulled me out of the darkness when no one else lent a hand and granted me a new lease on life.”
“As such, I wish to dedicate this new life to you. My heart, body, and soul, everything that I am belongs to you from now and forever,” Aeliana solemnly vowed with her head lowered.
“Do you fully understand the implications of your words, Lady Aeliana? You are accepting a man as your Lord. From a witch’s point of view, I don’t see how this will benefit you.”
Vaan casually pried to see the extent of loyalty granted by the effects of [Name Bestowal].
“I fully understand what I am saying, my Lord. You do not need to doubt my sincerity,” Aeliana affirmed before she requested, “And please call me Aeliana, my Lord. I do not deserve to be called Lady Aeliana.”
“I see. Then between us, I will just call you Aeliana,” Vaan acknowledged.
“Thank you, my Lord! Also, I am not seeking any benefits by following you,” Aeliana shortly added before she became fidgety, shy, and nervous while averting her eyes. “However, if my Lord permits me to be a little greedy, I do wish for some of your affection.”
“By affection, do you mean…”
Vaan suddenly lifted Aeliana’s chin and boldly stole her soft lips with a kiss, which she wholeheartedly accepted without resistance.
“Like this?” Vaan added after their lips parted.
Aeliana nodded shyly with a flushed face while she was overjoyed in her heart—almost to the point that she could not contain her happiness.
“My Lord, if I may be even more greedy, I wish for more…”
Aeliana wanted to offer her body to him on the spot, but Vaan knew what she wanted to say from the look in her eyes. He shook his head before she could finish speaking.
“Perhaps, another time. You need to focus on recovering your strength,” Vaan calmly stated before he added, “Furthermore, this isn’t the time and place for it. You should know where we are, right? We’ll be in trouble if the Fallen Witch discovers us.”
When Vaan mentioned that, Aeliana’s happy expression changed like the switch of a button as her eyes flashed with overflowing killing intent and madness.
However, it only lasted for an instant before she revealed her happy smile in front of Vaan again.
“I understand, my Lord. Aeliana will patiently wait until we leave this place safely before receiving your affection,” Aeliana said.
Shortly after, she expressed her regret, “It’s unfortunate that I am currently weak. Otherwise, I will definitely butcher that wench if you ask me to, my Lord.”
“Oh? Do you know how strong the Fallen Witch is?” Vaan glanced at her.
“I apologize for being unable to give you a definite answer, my Lord. However, I believe the Fallen Witch is around Early-stage to Mid-stage High Witch,” Aeliana stated.
“That strong?” Vaan immediately furrowed his brows before he paused for a moment and looked up at Aeliana. “Are you saying you can defeat the Fallen Witch if you are fully recovered?”
“Not by myself. But if I join forces with those other two High Witches outside, I have 80% confidence that we will defeat the Fallen Witch.”
“Oh, so you are also aware that two High Witches are fighting outside… But that’s not all, is it? When did you realize you could ‘see’ what’s happening outside,” Vaan asked.
He quickly realized Aeliana still had control over the antimagic spores spread throughout the pocket realm and the Red Goblin Mountains.
Nevertheless, when he raised the question, Aeliana held her cheeks with an embarrassed look.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but I’ve only just realized my ability after you mentioned the Fallen Witch, my Lord. I was too engrossed in my Lord’s presence to notice other things..”
“I see,” Vaan smiled wryly.
For better or worse, it was clear to him that Aeliana wasn’t completely freed from the side effects of suffering in her Abomination form for three years. She had displayed two sides of extreme emotions.
That said, he was assured that she would never direct her hostility toward him, only affection and reverence.
Vaan gradually shifted his attention to the system notifications that went off during their exchange.
====
[System Log]
Ding!